2008 atlanta falcons season in review 11-5, 0-1, second in nfc South
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a revived franchise leads to 11 wins & playoff berth In just one season, the Atlanta Falcons rebounded from four wins in 2007 to an 11-5 regular season record and the team’s first playoff berth since 2004. The ‘08 campaign was a year of firsts as first year Head Coach Mike Smith and first year quarterback Matt Ryan became the first rookie head coach and quarterback duo to compete in a playoff contest since 1945 when the Cleveland Rams accomplished the feat. In Smith’s stellar first season, he also became only the fourth Head Coach Mike Smith Head Coach in franchise history to record 11 or more victories in a single year en route to Associated Press Coach of the Year honors. The distinction marked only the second occasion a Falcons coach earned the award in franchise history. The Falcons witnessed an entire team effort in the turnaround as 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 place finish in the NFC South Division. Atlanta garnerned two Pro Bowl selections in running back Michael Turner and wide receiver Roddy White who will both be making their first visits to the league’s all-star game. Quarterback Matt Ryan earned Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and was named NFC Rookie of the Month (October), a first in both categories in team history. The Falcons also finished the regular season with five NFC Player of the Week accolades. Turner earned the honor on three occasions, while Ryan was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9 and wide receiver Harry Douglas was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 61 yards against Carolina in Week 12. In his first season with the Atlanta Falcons, Turner was voted tied for second in the final NFL MVP voting as he finished second in the league in rushing (1,699 yards) while topping the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his career. Turner also posted 17 rushing touchdowns, which set a new franchise record. White also logged a career year as he set a new franchise record with 1,382 receiving yards in a single-season while becoming the first wide receiver in team history to post back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns. Defensively, John Abraham set a new team record and a personal best with 16.5 sacks, topping the old record of 16.0 held by Joel Williams, which was set in 1980.
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ATLANTA FALCONS 2008 SCHEDULE and results Preseason Opponent Date Aug. 9 at Jacksonville Aug. 16 INDIANAPOLIS Aug. 22 TENNESSEE Aug. 28 at Baltimore
Time 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
Regular Season Opponent Date Sept. 7 DETROIT Sept. 14 at Tampa Bay Sept. 21 KANSAS CITY Sept. 28 at Carolina Oct. 5 at Green Bay Oct. 12 CHICAGO Oct. 26 at Philadelphia Nov. 2 at Oakland Nov. 9 NEW ORLEANS Nov. 16 DENVER Nov. 23 CAROLINA Nov. 30 at San Diego Dec. 7 at New Orleans Dec. 14 TAMPA BAY Dec. 21 at Minnesota Dec. 28 ST. LOUIS
Time Result 1:00 p.m. W, 34-21 4:05 p.m. L, 24-9 1:00 p.m. W, 38-14 1:00 p.m. L, 24-9 1:00 p.m. W, 27-24 1:00 p.m. W, 22-20 1:00 p.m. L, 27-14 4:15 p.m. W, 24-0 1:00 p.m. W, 34-20 1:00 p.m. L, 24-20 1:00 p.m. W, 45-28 4:05 p.m. W, 22-16 1:00 p.m. L, 29-25 1:00 p.m. W, 13-10 OT 4:15 p.m. W, 24-17 1:00 p.m. W, 31-27
Postseason - NFC Wild Card Opponent Date Jan. 3 at Arizona
Time 4:30 p.m.
Result L, 20-17 L, 16-9 W, 17-3 W, 10-9
Result L, 30-24
HOME GAMES - BOLD All Times Eastern*
final 2008 nfc south standings Team Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay New Orleans
W 12 11 9 8
L 4 5 7 8
T 0 0 0 0
Pct. .750 .688 .563 .500
PF 414 391 361 463
PA 329 325 323 393
Div. 4-2 3-3 3-3 2-4
REGGIE ROBERTS - Vice President of Football Communications
[email protected], (770) 965-2761
TED CREWS - Manager of Football Communications
[email protected], (770) 965-2764
FRANK KLEHA - Senior Director of Media Relations
[email protected], (770) 965-2763
MATT CONTI - Football Communications Coordinator
[email protected], (770) 965-4350
Conf. 8-4 8-4 8-4 5-7
falcons reach playoffs for first time since 2004
2009 falcons opponents
TALE OF THE TAPE 2008 Final Regular Season Statistics Falcons (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)
2008 REGULAR SEASON LEADERS Leading Passers: Matt Ryan
Yards 3,440
TDs 16
INTs 11
Yards Avg. 1,699 4.5
Long 70
TDs 17
Leading Receivers: Rec. Yards Avg. Roddy White 88 1,382 15.7
Long 70t
TDs 7
Leading Rushers: Michael Turner
Comp. Att. 265 434 Att. 376
Rating 87.7
nfl offseason dates January 10-11 January 18 February 1 February 8 February 18-24 February 23 February 27 March 22-25 April 25-26
Divisional Playoffs Conference Championships Super Bowl XLIII, Tampa, Florida (NBC) AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii (NBC) NFL Scouting Combine, Indianapolis, Indiana Falcons offseason conditioning begins Free agency begins NFL Annual Owners Meeting, Dana Point, California NFL Draft, New York City
QUOTING THE COACH Head Coach Mike Smith following the Falcons performance against the Arizona Cardinals "First, let me say I'm disappointed, our whole football team is disappointed, in the outcome of the game today, but we're not discouraged. I'm proud of the way these guys fought today. We just didn't get it done. They made the plays when they had to. It's tough to win when you're minus on the turnover ratio. The three turnovers I thought were very, very big. I really thought the guys fought extremely hard and they showed their resiliency there. It's tough to have a chance there at the end to get a stop and we weren't able to get a stop. That's tough. My hat's off to Coach (Ken) Whisenhunt. I congratulate his football team. They played very passionate, hard-nosed football and I thought it was a hard-nosed game. We'll go into this off season with some issues we've got to address. This is all part of the process. It's just another step in the process. We're going to remember how we feel as a football team because we plan on being back in this situation and we want to remember how this feels."
Atlanta will attempt to top its 2008 regular season record (11-5) next season with a challenging schedule that includes opponents from the AFC East, NFC East, two meetings against NFC South rivals a home meeting against Chicago and a road match-up at San 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 make a trip to Dallas and the Cowboys’ brand new stadium which will open next season. Collectively, the Falcons hold a 74-64 record against their NFC South foes and have posted 90 victories against their remaining opponents on the 2009 schedule. 2007 Record HOME Carolina 12-4 New Orleans 8-8 Tampa Bay 9-7 Philadelphia 9-6-1 Washington 8-8 Chicago 9-7 Buffalo 7-9 Miami 11-5
Last Time Played Result Nov. 23, 2008 W, 45-28 Dec. 7, 2008 L, 29-25 Dec. 14, 2008 W, 13-10 OT Oct. 26, 2008 L, 27-14 Dec. 3, 2006 W, 24-14 Oct. 12, 2008 W, 22-20 Sept. 25, 2005 W, 24-16 Nov. 6, 2005 W, 17-10
2007 Record AWAY Carolina 12-4 New Orleans 8-8 Tampa Bay 9-7 Dallas 9-7 New York Giants 12-4 San Francisco 7-9 New England 11-5 New York Jets 9-7
Last Time Played Result Nov. 23, 2008 W, 45-28 Dec. 7, 2008 L, 29-25 Dec. 14, 2008 W, 13-10 OT Dec. 16, 2006 L, 38-28 Oct. 15, 2007 L, 31-10 Nov. 4, 2007 W, 20-16 Oct. 9, 2005 L, 31-28 Oct. 24, 2005 W, 27-14
who was new in 2008 Atlanta welcomed 31 members to the team in 2008. Below is a breakdown of how the Falcons were built in 2008. By Draft (10): QB Matt Ryan (first round), OT Sam Baker (first round), LB Curtis Lofton (secon round), CB Chevis Jackson (third round), WR Harry Douglas (third round), S Thomas DeCoud (third round), LB Robert James (fifth round, injured reserve), DE Kroy Biermann (fifth round), RB Thomas Brown (sixth round, injured reserve), TE Keith Zinger (seventh round, practice squad) Free Agents (20): S Eric Brock, S Erik Coleman, K Jason Elam, DE Simon Fraser, S Jamaal Fudge, OT Wayne Gandy, LB Tony Gilbert, TE Ben Hartsock (injured reserve), CB Von Hutchins (injured reserve), DT Grady Jackson, DT Jason Jefferson, DT Kindal Moorehead, TE Justin Peelle, TE Marcus Pollard, TE Jason Rader, CB Glenn Sharpe, C Alex Stepanovich, RB Michael Turner, WR Eric Weems, LB Coy Wire By Trade (1): CB Domonique Foxworth (Trade from Denver)
PLAYOFF WING TIPS playoff first In Atlanta’s NFC Wild Card Playoff meeting against Arizona, Head Coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan became the first rookie Head Coach and rookie quarterback to compete in a playoff game since the Cleveland Rams accomplished the feat in 1945. Baltimore Head Coach John Harbaugh and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco followed with the same acheivement the following day in an AFC Wild Card match-up against the Miami Dolphins.
receiving a record Wide receiver Roddy White caught eight receptions in the first half of Atlanta’s Wild Card playoff meeting against Arizona setting a new franchise postseason record. The old mark was held by Andre Rison, who totaled five first half catches at Washington on January 4, 1992. White finished the game with 11 receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown on a five-yard reception in the fourth quarter. His total of 11 catches in the game also set a franchise record for Wide receiver Roddy White receptions in a postseason game, besting Eric Metcalf’s total of eight, which he set against the Green Bay Packers on December 31, 1995.
dueling in the desert Against the Arizona Cardinals, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan set a franchise record for completion percentage in a postseason contest with a 65.0 mark. Ryan completed 26 of 40 passes, which included a streak of nine consecutive completions from the 1:54 mark in the first quarter to the 8:21 mark in the second quarter. Since starting the game one of four in passing, Ryan went on to complete a streak of 17 of 21 passes. He set a NFL playoff rookie record with 26 comQuarterback Matt Ryan pletions in a single postseason game. Ryan also became the first Falcons quarterback to throw for two touchdown passes in a playoff game since January 15, 2005. He completed his first career postseason touchdown pass on a twoyard strike to tight end Justin Peelle with 23 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The score gave the Falcons a 17-14 halftime lead. The touchdown for Peelle was the first of his postseason career. Ryan added his second touchdown strike of the game on a five-yard completion to WR Roddy White. The score and kicker Jason Elam’s extra point cut Arizona’s lead to 30-24. The touchdown was the first in the postseason for White in his career.
another playoff first Cornerback Chevis Jackson intercepted his first career postseason pass to give the Falcons possession at the Cardinals 23-yard line in the in the second quarter. The interception was the first for Atlanta in a postseason game since Jason Webster picked off St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger on January 15, 2005.
FALCONS TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PLAYOFF RECORDS Following Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff meeting against the Arizona Cardinals, below is a look at the Falcons single and team playoff records.
Rushing Rushing Yards – 142, Warrick Dunn (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis Rams Rushing Attempts – 29, Jamal Anderson (1/9/99) vs. San Francisco 49ers Rushing Touchdowns – 2, two players tied (last) Warrick Dunn (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis Rams Rushing Long – 62t, Warrick Dunn (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis Rams Rushing Average – 8.4, Warrick Dunn (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis Rams Team Rushing Yards – 327, 1/15/05 vs. St. Louis Rams (thirdhighest rushing total for a playoff game in NFL history)
Passing Passing Yards – 366, Jeff George (12/31/95) vs. Green Bay Packers Passing Attempts – 54, Jeff George (12/31/95) vs. Green Bay Packers Passing Completions – 30, Jeff George (12/31/95) vs. Green Bay Packers Passing Completion % – 65.0, Matt Ryan (1/3/09) vs. Arizona Cardinals Passing Touchdowns – 3, two players tied (last) Chris Chandler (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota Vikings Passing Long – 70, Chris Chandler (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota Vikings
Receiving Receiving Yards – 155, Alfred Jenkins (1/4/81) vs. Dallas Cowboys Receptions – 11, Roddy White (1/3/09) vs. Arizona Cardinals Receiving Touchdowns – 2, two players tied (last) Terance Mathis (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota Vikings Receiving Long – 70, Tony Martin (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota Vikings
Miscellaneous/Defense/Special Teams Points – 47, (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis Rams Total Net Yards – 427, (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota Vikings Total Net Yards Allowed – 217, (12/24/78) vs. Philadelphia Eagles Team Interceptions – 3, (1/9/99) vs. San Francisco 49ers Individual Interceptions – 2, two players tied (last) Keion Carpenter (1/4/03) vs. Green Bay Packers Team Sacks – 4, (1/15/05) vs. St. Louis Rams Individual Sacks – 1, 15 players tied (last) Patrick Kerney (1/23/05) vs. Philadelphia Eagles Field Goals – 3, (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota Vikings Individual Field Goals Made – 3, Morten Andersen (1/17/99) vs. Minnesota Vikings Field Goal Long – 52, Jay Feely (1/11/03) vs. Philadelphia Eagles
PLAYOFF WING TIPS coaching playoff experience
PLAYOFFs by the numbers
Prior to the start of the 2008 season, the Falcons organization saw a drastic coaching change bringing in 13 new members, including Head Coach Mike Smith, Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey and Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong. As a whole, Atlanta’s 2008 coaching staff totaled 188 years of combined NFL experience. At the start of the 2008 playoffs, the staff had logged 54 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 Terry Robiskie (Oakland, 1983) have all won Super Bowls. Below is a look at the current Falcons coaching staff’s playoff experience.
• The Falcons made their first postseason appearance since 2004
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, 19972000, 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, Head Coach Mike Smith is one of three Falcons coaches who has 2002, 2008) won a Super Bowl. 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 Total Total Total
years: 71 games: 110 record: 43-67 Super Bowls: four
postseason return With an 11-5 regular season record and 7-1 home mark at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons tied their best record in a campaign in four years (2004). Atlanta also reached the postseason in ‘04 and made a NFC Championship game appearance against the Philadelphia Eagles.
season (11-5 regular season record). • The playoffs marked the ninth occassion the team reached postseason play in the club annals. The other years Atlanta made playoff 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 rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver for the eighth time in franchise history. Atlanta made playoff appearances in the seven previous seasons the team accomplished the feat. • Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 3,440 yards in the regular season. The Falcons have seen five occasions where a quarterback has thrown for over 3,000 yards and made the playoffs. Those years include: 1980, 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2008.
Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan
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) Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking C Todd McClure: three years made his fourth-career playoff appearance. (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)
PLAYOFF WING TIPS u-turn Following a tumultuous 2007 campaign, the Falcons rebounded in just one season and posted their best record (11-5) since 2004. The turnaround is one of the best in franchise history as the sevenwin difference is tied for the best in the 43-year history. Below are the biggest turnarounds in club annals and the postseason appearances in that year. Game Difference Postseason Record Difference 2007 (4-12) - 2008 (11-5) Seven games NFC Wild Card Game 1997 (7-9) - 1998 (14-2) Seven games NFC Divisional Game NFC Championship Super Bowl XXXIII 2003 (5-11) - 2004 (11-5) Six games NFC Divisional Game NFC Championship 1979 (6-10) - 1980 (12-4) Six Games NFC Wild Card Game 1990 (5-11) - 1991 (10-6) Five Games NFC Wild Card Game NFC Divisional Game
from rookie to playoffs Since the NFL merger took place in 1970, only three rookie quarterbacks have 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 quarterback Matt Ryan and Baltimore QB Joe Flacco joined the trio following the regular season finale last Sunday. Ryan and Flacco both became the only rookies to lead Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan led their respective teams to the playoffs the Falcons to a 11-5 regular season record this year. after starting every game in the regular season. Below is a look at the success of the five rookie QBs who have started all 16 games in their first seasons. Year Reg. Season Rec. Postseason Player Matt Ryan, Atl 2008 11-5 NFC Wild Card Joe Flacco, Bal 2008 11-5 AFC Wild Card David Carr, Hou 2002 4-12 Peyton Manning, Ind 1998 3-13 Rick Mirer, Sea 1993 6-10 -
rush to the end zone This season, running back Michael Turner set a new franchise record with 17 rushing touchdowns while contributing with 1,699 rushing yards. In Atlanta’s NFC Wild Card Playoff meeting against Arizona, Turner found the end zone one last time on the season with a sevenyard carry in the second quarter. The 14play 77-yard scoring drive cut the Cardinals lead to 14-10. The touchdown Running back Michael Turner was the second for Turner in his postseason career and the first since January 14, 2007 when he was a member of the San Diego Chargers.
FALCONS PLAYOFF RECAP Year Record Game
Date Opponent
Score
1978 9-7 NFC Wild Card 12-24 vs. Philadelphia (W) 14-13 Recap: The Falcons scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and QB Steve Bartkowski threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons earned their first playoff victory in franchise history. NFC Divisional 12-30 at Dallas (L) 27-20 Recap: After capturing an early lead at halftime, the Cowboys posted 14 points in the second half to claim a 27-20 win. Atlanta RB Bubba Bean recorded 72 yards and one touchdown in the effort. 1980 12-4 NFC Divisional 1-4-81 vs. Dallas (L) 30-27 Recap: Falcons QB Steve Bartkowski completed 18 of 33 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-27 loss against Dallas. 1982 5-4 NFC Divisional 1-9-83 at Minnesota (L) 30-24 Recap: Atlanta K Mick Luckhurst rushed for a touchdown and DB Bob Glazebrook returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in a 30-24 loss at Minnesota. 1991 10-6 NFC Wild Card 12-28 at New Orleans (W) 27-20 Recap: The Falcons earned their second playoff victory in franchise history with the help of WR Michael Haynes who caught six passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-20 win over New Orleans. NFC Divisional 1-3-92 at Washington (L) 24-7 Recap: Washington jumped out to a 14-point lead in the second quarter and the Falcons offense coud not make up the difference, falling 24-7 against the Redskins. 1995 9-7 NFC Wild Card 12-31 at Green Bay (L) 37-20 Recap: Falcons WR Eric Metcalf finished with eight receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown, but it was not enough to overcome a Packers 27-10 lead at halftime. 1998 14-2 NFC Divisional 1-9-99 vs. San Francisco(W) 20-18 Recap: Atlanta took its first steps toward a Super Bowl appearance as Jamal Anderson paced a ground attack with 29 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns in a Falcons 20-18 win. NFC Championship 1-17-99 at Minnesota (W) 30-27 Recap: The underdog Falcons fought back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to win the NFC title on the road in an overtime thriller. Kicker Morten Andersen split the uprights on a 38-yard attempt to clinch the win in OT. Super Bowl XXXIII1-31-99 vs. Denver (L) 34-19 Recap: The Falcons lost their only Super Bowl appearnce, 34-19, at the hands of the Denver Broncos. WR Tim Dwight returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and RB Jamal Anderson registered 96 yards in the losing effort. 2002 9-6-1 NFC Wild Card 1-4-03 at Green Bay (W) 27-7 Recap: The Falcons became the first team ever to defeat the Green Bay Packers in the postseason at Lambeau Field with a 27-7 victory. Atlanta logged 309 net yards and three touchdowns in the win. NFC Divisional 1-11-03 at Philadelphia (L) 20-6 Recap: Eagles QB Donovan McNabb completed 20 of 30 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown as the Falcons fell, 20-6, in a Divisional playoff game at Veterans Stadium. 2004 11-5 NFC Divisional 1-15-05 vs. St. Louis (W) 47-17 Recap: Atlanta used the fourth-highest team rushing total in NFL postseason history (327 yards) to defeat the Rams, 47-17 at the Georgia Dome. NFC Championship 1-23-05 at Philadelphia (L) 27-10 Recap: In their second NFC Championship Game appearance in franchise history, 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) 30-24 Recap: Following a slow start, Atlanta grabbed a halftime lead, however, turnovers caused the team in the second half as the Falcons fell 30-24.
WING TIPS UNDER HIS FIRST YEAR AT THE HELM MIKE SMITH LEADS THE FALCONS TO THE PLAYOFFS Head Coach Mike Smith led the Atlanta Falcons to one of the biggest turnarounds in team history (11 wins) while leading the team to its first playoff berth since 2004. Atlanta witnessed several improvements from the previous season, which included points per game average, rushing yards per game average, passing touchdown to interception ratio and sacks allowed. Smith had the Falcons ready to play in every game this season as Atlanta ranked first in the NFL in first quarter points scored and sixth in first quarter points allowed. The team also recorded a streak of 12 of 15 games holding opponents to under 20 rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes of play. Under Smith’s guidence, rookie quarterback Matt Ryan quickly developed into an offensive leader as he became the first Falcons quarterback to win 10 games in his first season. Ryan also threw for over 3,000 passing yards, becoming Atlanta’s first rookie quarterback to accomplish the feat. Free agent running back Michael Turner revived the Falcons rushing attack and he finished the regular season ranked second in the league in rushing yards. Turner also topped the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his career. Finally, Smith witnessed Roddy White become the first wide receiver in franchise history to post back to back 1,200-yard seasons while setting a single-season mark with 1,382 yards. best records for rookie head coaches taking over teams that finished below .500 the previous season (since 1978) Coach (Team - Year) Record Mike Smith (Atlanta, 2008) 11-5 John Harbaugh (Baltimore, 2008) 11-5 Tony Sparano (Miami, 2008) 11-5 Jim Mora (Atlanta, 2004) 11-5 Bill Cowher (Pittsburgh, 1992) 11-5 Bobby Ross (San Diego, 1992) 11-5 Jim Fassel (NY Giants, 1997) 10-5-1 Eric Mangini (NY Jets, 2006) 10-6 Sean Payton (New Orleans, 2006) 10-6 Jim Haslett (New Orleans, 2000) 10-6 Chan Gailey (Dallas, 1998) 10-6 Ray Rhodes (Philadelphia, 1995) 10-6
Previous Season 4-12 5-11 1-15 5-11 7-9 4-12 6-10 4-12 3-13 3-13 6-10 7-9
Playoffs (Round) 0-1 (NFC Wild Card Game) 1-0 (AFC Wild Card Game) 0-1 (AFC Wild Card Game) 1-1 (NFC Championship Game) 0-1 (Divisional Playoff Game) 1-1 (Divisional Playoff Game) 0-1 (Wild Card Playoff Game) 0-1 (AFC Wild Card Game) 1-1 (NFC Championship Game) 1-1 (Divisional Playoff Game) 0-1 (Wild Card Playoff Game) 1-1 (Divisional Playoff Game)
MOST Falcons HEAD COACHING WINS IN A SEASON Coach Record Year Dan Reeves 14-2 1998 Leeman Bennett 12-4 1980 Jim Mora 11-5 2004 Mike Smith 11-5 2008 Jerry Glanville 10-6 1991
GREATEST IMPROVEMENT IN WINS BETWEEN SEASONS BY A FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH Coach Tony Sparano Al Davis Bill Parcells Ted Marchibroda Ted Marchibroda Mike Smith Sean Payton Jim Haslett Bobby Ross Don Shula John Harbaugh Jim Mora Eric Mangini
Team 2008 Miami Dolphins 1963 Oakland Raiders 1997 New York Jets 1992 Indianapolis Colts 1975 Baltimore Colts 2008 Atlanta Falcons 2006 New Orleans Saints 2000 New Orleans Saints 1992 San Diego Chargers 1970 Miami Dolphins 2008 Baltimore Ravens 2004 Atlanta Falcons 2006 New York Jets
Win Improvement +10 (11-5 from 1-15) +9 (10-4 from 1-13) +8 (9-7 from 1-15) +8 (9-7 from 1-15) +8 (10-4 from 2-12) +7 (11-5 from 4-12) +7 (10-6 from 3-13) +7 (10-6 from 3-13 +7 (11-5 from 4-12) +7 (10-4 from 3-10-1) +6 (11-5 from 5-11) +6 (11-5 from 5-11) +6 (11-5 from 5-11)
rookie head coaches who won 11+ games Coach Mike Smith John Harbaugh Tony Sparano Jim Mora Bill Callahan Steve Mariucci
Team Atlanta Baltimore Miami Atlanta Oakland San Francisco
Year 2008 2008 2008 2004 1997 1994
Wins 11 11 11 11 11 12
Coach Barry Switzer Bill Cowher Dennis Green Bobby Ross George Seifert
Team Dallas Pittsburgh Minnesota San Diego San Francisco
Year 1994 1992 1992 1992 1989
Wins 12 11 11 11 14
WING TIPS final 2008 regular season rankings NFL LEADING RUSHERS (Yards) Rusher 1. Adrian Peterson, Min. 2. Michael Turner, Atl. 3. DeAngelo Williams, Car. 4. Clinton Portis, Was. 5. Thomas Jones, NYJ
Yards 1,760 1,699 1,515 1,487 1,312
NFL LEADING RUSHERS (Carries) Rusher 1. Michael Turner, Atl. 2. Adrian Peterson, Min. 3. Clinton Portis, Was. 4. Matt Forte, Chi 5. Ryan Grant, GB
Carries 376 363 342 316 312
NFL LEADING RECEIVERS (Yards) Receiver 1. Andre Johnson, Hou. 2. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. 3. Steve Smith, Car. 4. Roddy White, Atl. 5. Calvin Johnson, Det.
Yards 1,575 1,431 1,421 1,382 1,331
NFC LEADING RECEIVERS (Receptions) Receiver 1. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. 2. Anquan Boldin, Ari. 3. Roddy White, Atl. 4t. Antonio Bryant, TB 4t. Chris Cooley, Was.
Receptions 96 89 88 83 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 1. DeAngelo Williams, Car 2t. Michael Turner, Atl. 3t. Three players tied
Points 122 102 90
NFL LEADING SCORERS (Touchdowns) Player 1. DeAngelo Williams, Car. 2. Michael Turner, Atl. 3t. Brandon Jacobs, NYG 3t. Thomas Jones, NYJ 3t. LenDale White, Ten.
TDs 20 17 15 15 15
NFC LEADING SCORERS (Kickers) Kicker 1. David Akers, Phi. 2. John Carney, NYG 3. Matt Bryant, TB 4. John Kasay, Car. 5. Jason Elam, Atl.
Points 144 143 131 130 129
NFL YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE Player 1. Adrian Peterson, Min. 2. Michael Turner, Atl. 3. Matt Forte, Chi. 4. Clinton Portis, Was. 5. Steve Slaton, Hou.
Yards 1,885 1,740 1,715 1,705 1,659
NFL LEADERS IN FIRST DOWNS Player 1t. Michael Turner, Atl. 1t. Clinton Portis, Was. 1t. Matt Forte, Chi. 4. Adrian Peterson, Min. 5. Andre Johnson, Hou.
First Downs 86 86 86 85 79
NFL LEADERS IN YARDS PER COMPLETION Player 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 SACKS Player 1. DeMarcus Ware, Dal. 2. Joey Porter, Mia. 3. John Abraham, Atl. 4. James Harrison, Pit. 5. Jared Allen, Min.
Sacks 20.0 17.5 16.5 16.0 14.5
FALCONS MOST RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASON Player 1. Jamal Anderson, 1998 2. Gerald Riggs, 1985 3. Michael Turner, 2008 4. William Andrews, 1983 5. Gerald Riggs, 1984
Yards 1,846 1,719 1,699 1,567 1,486
FALCONS SINGLE-GAME RUSHING TOTALS Player 1. Michael Turner, 2008 2. Michael Turner, 2008 3. Gerald Riggs, 1984
Yards 220 208 202
FALCONS MOST RUSHING TDS IN A GAME Player 1. Michael Turner, 2008 2. T.J. Duckett, 2004 3. Three players tied
Touchdowns 4 4 3
WING TIPS final 2008 regular season rankings FALCONS MOST RECEIVING YARDS IN A SEASON Player 1. Roddy White, 2008 2. Alfred Jenkins, 1981 3. Terance Mathis, 1994
Yards 1,382 1,358 1,342
FALCONS MOST RECEPTIONS IN A SEASON Player 1. Terance Mathis, 1994 2. Eric Metcalf, 1995 3. Andre Rison, 1992 4. Roddy White, 2008 5. Andre Rison, 1993
Receptions 111 104 93 88 86
FALCONS MOST SACKS IN A SEASON Player 1. John Abraham, 2008 2. Joel Williams, 1980 3. Claude Humphrey, 1976
Sacks 16.5 16.0 15.0
FALCONS MOST NET YARDS GAINED (Season) Season 1. 2008 2. 1981 3. 1980
Yards 5,779 5,661 5,650
FALCONS MOST RUSHING YARDS IN A SEASON Team 1. 2006 2. 2004 3. 2005 4. 1985 5. 2008 *Led NFL
Yards 2,939* 2,672* 2,546* 2,466 2,443
FALCONS BEST COMPLETION % IN A SEASON Team 1. 1982 2. 1983 3. 1984 4. 1992 5. 2008
Percentage 64.0 63.3 61.5 61.3 61.1
FALCONS MOST POINTS IN A SEASON Team 1. 1998 2. 1981 3. 1980 4. 2002 5. 2008
Points 442 426 405 402 391
FALCONS SACKS ALLOWED PER PLAY (Season) Season 1. 2008 2. 1997 3. 1994
Sacks/Per Play 25.5 17.1 17.1
NFL TEAM RUSHING LEADERS Team 1. New York Giants 2. Atlanta Falcons 3. Carolina Panthers 4. Baltimore Ravens 5. Minnesota Vikings
Rushing Avg. 157.3 152.7 152.3 148.5 145.8
NFC TEAM LEADERS IN TOTAL OFFENSE Team 1. New Orleans Saints 2. Arizona Cardinals 3. Atlanta Falcons 4. New York Giants 5. Green Bay Packers
Yardage Avg. 410.7 365.8 361.2 355.9 351.1
NFL FIRST QUARTER POINTS SCORED Team 1. Atlanta Falcons 2. Chicago Bears 3. Denver Broncos
Points 114 109 106
NFC FIRST QUARTER POINTS ALLOWED Team 1. New York Giants 2. Chicago Bears 3. Atlanta Falcons
Points 39 47 52
NFL FIRST QUARTER RUSHING YARDS ALLOWED Team 1. Pittsburgh Steelers 2. New York Giants 3t. Atlanta Falcons 3t. Dallas Cowboys
Rushing Yards 255 288 310 310
NFL LEADERS IN RUSHING PLAYS OF 10+ YARDS Team 1. New York Giants 2. Atlanta Falcons 3. Carolina Panthers
Plays 73 69 63
NFL PUNT RETURN YARDS ALLOWED (Season) Team 1. Atlanta Falcons 2. New York Giants 3. San Diego Chargers 4. New England Patriots 5. Buffalo Bills
Return Yards 49 (NFL Record) 140 146 158 187
falcons in the pro bowl
39TH PRO BOWL FEBRUARY 8, 2009 ALOHA STADIUM - HONOLULU, HAWAII The National Football League announced that Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner and wide receiver Roddy White have been selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl. Both Turner and White will be making their first Pro Bowl appearances. “It’s always a good thing when players from your team are recognized for outstanding seasons,” said Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith. “Michael and Roddy have each played extremely well this season and I’d like to congratulate them both on behalf of our entire organization.” In his first season in an Atlanta Falcons uniform, Michael Turner posted 1,699 rushing WR Roddy White yards, 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 opening week of the season. He also tied a club record with four rushing touchdowns in one game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12 and in the same contest, topped the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the first time in his career. Turner also scored 17 touchdowns this season, which sets a team record for rushing touchdowns in a campaign. On three occasions, Turner was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. The first was for his performance against the Lions in Week 1. Turner earned the award again following Week 3 against Kansas City and the season finale against the St. Louis Rams.
RB Michael Turner
“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 linemen. 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 register back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns. His 1,382 receiving yardage total ranks fourth in the NFL and set a new franchise record for receiving yards for a season. He also broke career highs in receptions (88) and touchdowns (seven). White recorded seven 100-yard games this 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 teammates for their hard work this season. Those guys are a big reason why I’m getting to play in my first Pro Bowl.” falcons pro bowl notes • • • •
White and Turner are the 112th and 113th Pro Bowl selections in team history. Both White and Turner are making their first Pro Bowl appearances. Turner is the eighth different Falcons running back to earn Pro Bowl honors. White is the fourth different Falcons wide receiver to earn Pro Bowl accolades and the first since Terance Mathis in 1995.
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 carries 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 the Week 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 and Turner are the first Falcons selections to the Pro Bowl since 2006. • 2008 marks the 10th season Atlanta has posted a winning record with at least one Pro Bowl selection.
• Turner and White are the second Falcons RB and WR duo to be voted to the Pro Bowl in the same year (first since 1980).
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 1,200yard 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 receptions (29) and led the league in third down receiving yards (516). • Finished third in the conference and ninth in the NFL in receptions with 88 and topped his old careerhigh 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, including a career-high in receiving yardage (164) at New Orleans 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 SMITH NAMED 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 the AP. 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 since 2004. Under Smith’s guidance, the Falcons posted one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history (+7 wins from 2007) while finishing second in 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 a team that finished below .500 the previous season. He joins other 2008 rookie head coaches, John Harbaugh (Baltimore) and Tony Sparano (Miami) in that category. Smith led a Falcons offense which witnessed massive improvements from 2007. The rushing attack finished second in the league with a 152.7 average, while running back Michael Turner ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,699), topped the 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 per game average in 2008, which was an 8.2-point upgrade from 2007 and the offensive line set a franchise record by allowing only 17 sacks. The Falcons passing offense, led by Associated Press Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan, improved four spots in the conference from ’07 (18th to 14th) and the team’s total offensive average of 361.2 ranked third in the NFC compared to a 12th place finish last season. Wide receiver Roddy White was the recipient of a franchise record 1,382 receiving yards as the four-year veteran will make his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Ryan became the first rookie quarterback in team history to win 11 games and the first rookie in franchise annals to throw over 3,000 passing yards (3,440) in his first season. Smith and Ryan also became the first rookie Head Coach and rookie quarterback to compete 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 franchise record with 16.5 sacks in a single-season while forcing four fumbles and blocking one punt against Carolina in Week 4. Atlanta’s special teams were also a highlight this season as the unit set a NFL record allowing only 49 punt return 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 Dan Reeves 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 4 - The number of consecutive home victories to open the 2008 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 24 spots 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 appearance for the Falcons and the NFC Wild Card game against the Arizona Cardinals on January 3, 2009.
campaign, the highest amount of consecutive home wins to start a season since 1998.
7 - The Falcons win improvement from the 2007 season under the leadership of Coach Smith. The seven wins are tied for the sixthhighest improvement between seasons by a first-year head coach in NFL history.
8.2 - Atlanta’s improvement in points per game average compared to the 2007 campaign. The Falcons finished the season averaging 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 field goals.
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 completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for an 87.7 passer rating. He also contributed with 104 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. His 3,440 passing yards ranks sixth in a single-season in Falcons annals as he became only the second rookie quarterback ever in the NFL to amass over 3,000 passing yards. Ryan became one of two rookie quarterbacks in the NFL since 2003 to start a regular season opener. He guided Atlanta to an 11-5 record, which made him the first rookie quarterback in franchise history to win 11 games. Ryan also became the first quarterback in club history to reach the 3,000-yard passing plateau. Along with Ravens quarterback 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 Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown to become the first quarterback in the NFL since 2000 to throw a TD on his first career passing attempt. He led Atlanta to a 7-1 record at the Georgia Dome and guided the Falcons to a 6-2 mark in games decided by one score or less this year. For his performance in the month of October, Ryan earned NFC Rookie of the Month accolades, becoming the first player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. In October, Ryan and the Falcons defeated the Green Bay 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 pass to Jenkins with one second remaining to set up kicker Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal. During the month 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 rating in 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 notched eight contests with a 65.0 completion percentage or higher. He also ranked second in the league in yards per completion with a 12.98 average. Ryan is the only player in franchise history to earn offensive rookie of the year honors. He joins linebacker Tommy Nobis (1966-76) and defensive end Claude Humphrey (1968-74, 76-78) as the only other Falcons to earn 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 9 - The number of consecutive 200-yard passing games this seacareer touchdown pass (62 yards to Michael Jenkins, Week 1).
son from Weeks 6-15.
2 - The number of conference accolades Ryan earned throughout the season (NFC Rookie of the Month in October and NFC Offensive Rookie of the Week following a contest vs. Oakland).
11 - The number of wins Matt Ryan compiled this season, becoming the first rookie quarterback in team history to win 11 games in a campaign.
6 - The number of victories Matt Ryan and the Falcons earned in
11 - The number of interceptions Matt Ryan threw this season
games decided by one score or less.
becoming one of two rookie quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to start every regular season game and throw under 15 INTs.
7 - The number of wins Matt Ryan and the Falcons earned at the Georgia Dome this season as the rookie quarterback completed 121 of 188 passes for 1,777 yards and six touchdowns for a 94.7 quarterback rating in eight home contests.
11 - The number of seconds remaining in a fourth quarter comeback against the Chicago Bears when Ryan completed a 26-yard pass to set up K Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal. 16 - The number of games Matt Ryan started (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 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 season among 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. He also became this first rookie in team history to throw for over 3,000 passing yards.
2008 falcons starters offensive starters
defensive starters
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
WR Roddy White - Led the Falcons in receiving with 88 catches for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns. His receiving total set a new franchise record for receiving yards in a season. Tallied seven 100yard games and back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons while earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
RE John Abraham - Posted his third three-sack performance in Week 15 against Tampa Bay as his 16.5 sacks in 2008 set a season record in club annals. This year, totaled 42 tackles (35 solo), four forced fumbles and one pass defensed.
LT Sam Baker - Started in five career games at the left tackle position in his rookie season. LG Justin Blalock – Assisted a Falcons rushing attack that posted 2,443 yards this season, the sixth-highest total in team history. C Todd McClure - Started his 112th consecutive game on the offensive line in Week 17. RG Harvey Dahl - Started his 16th career NFL game in a Week 17 meeting against the St. Louis Rams. RT Tyson Clabo - Made his 37th career start following the Falcons meeting with the Rams in Week 17.
DT Grady Jackson - Totaled 23 tackles (21 solo), two sacks and one pass defensed. DT Jonathan Babineaux - Recorded 38 tackles (30 solo), a careerbest 3.5 sacks for a loss of 26.5 yards, two passes defensed and one fumble recovery in 2008. LE Jamaal Anderson - Totaled two sacks, which includes his firstcareer quarterback takedown in Week 6 vs. Chicago. Also added 36 tackles and three passes defensed. OLB Keith Brooking - Increased his starting streak to 128 consecutive regular season games following the season finale against St. Louis and has now led the Falcons in tackles for eight straight seasons with 133 (80 solo).
TE Justin Peelle - Caught 15 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
MLB Curtis Lofton - Totaled his first-career sack against Philadelphia in Week 8, while forcing a fumble on the play. Ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 108.
WR Michael Jenkins - Totaled 50 catches for 777 yards and three touchdowns, which included a 62-yard touchdown on Matt Ryan’s first career pass against Detroit in Week 1.
OLB Michael Boley - Recorded 90 tackles, nine passes defensed and one interception.
QB Matt Ryan - Started every game under center and completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 87.7 passer rating en route to earning AP Rookie of the Year honors. RB Michael Turner - Posted 376 carries for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns while setting a Falcons single-game record with 220 yards against Detroit in Week 1. Also tallied four touchdowns against Carolina in Week 12 while topping the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the first time in his career. Turner earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl as well. FB Ovie Mughelli - Created lanes for Falcons rushers to total 2,443 rushing yards this season.
RCB Chris Houston - Intercepted his first-career pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown. Added his second INT against New Orleans (Week 10) and contributed with 59 tackles and 16 passes defensed. LCB Domonique Foxworth - Started 10 games in 2008 and totaled 39 stops, 11 passes defensed and one interception. SS Lawyer Milloy - Ranked third on the team in tackles with 117 (76 solo) while adding one interception and five passes defensed. FS Erik Coleman - Ranked second on the Falcons in tackles with a career-high of 127 and contributed with three interceptions, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles. KEY CONTRIBUTOR:
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.
RE Chauncey Davis - This season, recorded 35 tackles, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and four sacks, which included a two-sack game against Carolina in Week 12.
a new starting staff The Falcons featured 10 new starters in 2008 compared to the 2007 regular season finale against the Seattle Seahawks. Different starters are underlined while rookies are bolded. 2007 Roddy White Quinn Ojinnaka Justin Blalock Todd McClure Kynan Forney Tyson Clabo Alge Crumpler Joe Horn Chris Redman Warrick Dunn Ovie Mughelli
Offensive Starters WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
2008 Roddy White Sam Baker Justin Blalock Todd McClure Harvey Dahl Tyson Clabo Justin Peelle Michael Jenkins Matt Ryan Michael Turner Ovie Mughelli
2007 Jamaal Anderson Montavious Stanley Jonathan Babineaux John Abraham Michael Boley Keith Brooking Demorrio Williams DeAngelo Hall Chris Houston Lawyer Milloy Chris Crocker
Defensive Starters LE NT UT RE BLB MLB WLB LCB RCB SS FS
2008 Jamaal Anderson Jonathan Babineaux Grady Jackson John Abraham Michael Boley Curtis Lofton Keith Brooking Domonique Foxworth Chris Houston Lawyer Milloy Erik Coleman
WING TIPS John Abraham Defensive End 6-4, 263 pounds 9th year in the NFL South Carolina
55
Acquired by the Falcons in a trade with the New York Jets in 2006
sack master John Abraham registered 16.5 sacks this season setting a new season-high for the nine-year veteran, topping his previous high 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. Atlanta Falcons Highest Sack Totals in a Season Year Sacks Player John Abraham 2008 16.5 Joel Williams 1980 16.0 Claude Humphrey 1976 15.0
climbing the charts
brisk september
Defensive end John Abraham continued his dominance on opening day as the nineyear veteran posted three sacks for a loss of 16 yards and four tackles against the Detroit Lions in Week 1. He registered his third three-sack performance of the season against Tampa Bay (Week 15) en route to a 13-10 Falcons overtime victory. At the conclusion of the season, he has now 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.
In four games this September, defensive end John Abraham totaled six sacks, which included a three-sack performance against the Detroit Lions in the season opener at the Georgia Dome. Since sacks became an official NFL stat in 1982, Abraham’s six sacks in the month are the most by a Falcons player in team history. Below is a look at the Falcons top three in this category.
Rank 1 2 3 4
NFL Sack Leaders 2008 Player Sacks DeMarcus Ware, Dal 20.0 Joey Porter, Mia 17.5 John Abraham, Atl 16.5 James Harrison, Pit 16.0
Yards 113.0 96.0 109.5 114.5
NFL Sack Leaders 2000-2008 (Active Players) Rank Player Sacks Yards 1 Jason Taylor, Was 104.0 680.0 2 John Abraham, Atl 84.0 534.0 3 Joey Porter, Mia 81.0 510.0 Date 9/7 9/14 9/21 10/5 11/2 11/9 11/23 11/30 12/14 12/21
John Abraham’s Sacks In 2008 Opponent Sacks Yards vs. Detroit 3.0 16.0 at Tampa Bay 1.0 5.0 vs. Kansas City 2.0 11.0 at Green Bay 1.0 5.0 at Oakland 3.0 16.0 vs. New Orleans 1.0 6.0 vs. Carolina 1.0 8.0 at San Diego 0.5 4.5 vs. Tampa Bay 3.0 33.0 at Minnesota 1.0 5.0
Mr. VERSATILITY Defensive end John Abraham has shown that he has the ability to get to the quarterback no matter what the situation presents. Abraham’s 16.5 sacks in 2008 came from both sides of the defensive line in Atlanta’s 4-3 defense. QB RT
RG
DE NT (five sacks, one FF)
C
LG
LT
NT DE (11.5 sacks, three FF)
Player John Abraham Chris Doleman Patrick Kerney
Season Sacks in Sept. 2008 6.0 1995 5.5 2004 5.0
forcing the issue After dropping Minnesota quarterback Tarvaris Jackson for one sack in a Week 16 meeting, John Abraham forced a fumble on the takedown and increased his career forced fumble total to 31. Following his ninth season, 26 of his forced fumbles have come on a 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 a sack by season. Year 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Total
Sack Total 16.5 10.0 4.0 10.5 9.5 6.0 10.0 13.0 4.5 84.0
Forced Fumbles 4 4 4 6 2 1 1 2 2 26
Percent .242 .400 1.000 .571 .211 .166 .100 .153 .444 .309
A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH Defensive end John Abraham ranks fourth in the league in forced fumbles from 2000-2008. Abraham knocked his first ball to ground in 2008 against Tampa Bay in Week 2, added his second against Kansas City in Week 3, posted his third in a Week 9 contest at Oakland and tallied his latest in Week 16 at Minnesota. Below is a look at the NFL’s forced fumble leaders over the last nine seasons. Forced Fumbles Player Jason Taylor, Was 37 Dwight Freeney, Ind 35 Leonard Little, Stl 33 John Abraham, Atl 31
WING TIPS Jason Elam Kicker 5-11, 194 pounds 16th year in the NFL Hawaii
RACKING UP THE POINTS
1
Signed by the Falcons as an unrestricted free agent (Den.) in 2008. 30-straight
This season, kicker Jason Elam split the uprights on 29 of 31 field goal attempts while converting all 42 PATs to log 129 points. His scoring total ranks fifth in the NFC and was 15 points shy of Philadelphia Eagles kicker David Akers’ total (144). Elam’s 129 points this year fell nine points shy of an Atlanta franchise record for a season (138 set by kicker Jay Feely in 2002). The point total also fell three points shy of Elam’s career-high (132 set in 1995). NFC Leading Scorers Among Kickers PAT FG Total Points Player David Akers, Phi 45/45 33/40 144 John Carney, NYG 38/38 35/38 143 Matt Bryant, TB 35/36 32/38 131 John Kasay, Car 46/46 28/31 130 Jason Elam, Atl 42/42 29/31 129
Falcons kicker Jason Elam split the uprights on five of six field goal attempts against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. In the fourth quarter of the game, he missed his first attempt of the season, which broke a streak of 30 consecutive field goals dating back to the 2007 campaign. This year, Elam totaled 129 points and registered his 16th career 100-point season. He became the first player in NFL history to record at least 100 points in each of his first 16 seasons, which is also the longest streak in the league. He is also second in the league to former Falcons kicker Morten Andersen in consecutive games scoring at least one point (252). Andersen ended last season with his streak at 360 games.
Falcons Franchise Scoring Leaders In a Season Year PAT FG Total Points Player Jay Feely 2002 42/43 32/40 138 Jason Elam 2008 42/42 29/31 129 Morten Andersen 1995 29/30 31/37 122 Morten Andersen 1998 51/52 23/28 120 Jay Feely 2001 28/28 29/37 115
fifty-plus is a must
IT’S LONg GONE
Jason Elam ranks third all-time in the NFL with 38 field goals of 50 yards or more. He tallied his best season total of five field goals from 50-plus yards in 1995 and tied the mark again in 1999. Elam is also perfect in 50plus-yard field goals throughout the postseason, splitting the uprights on one attempt in 1997 and one attempt in 2005. Below is a list of the top five kickers in 50-plus yard field goals and their percentages. 50-plus FG made (att.) Player Jason Hanson, Det 41 (75) Morten Andersen 40 (84) Jason Elam, Atl 38 (63) John Kasay, Car 36 (70) Jeff Wilkins 26 (36)
Rewind to a chilly October day in Denver, Colorado in 1998. The Broncos were hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars and were about to enter halftime with a 2410 lead. Instead of running out the clock, Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan wanted to see if he could increase his lead against a strong Jaguars team. Kicker Jason Elam jogged to his position and lined up for a monumental kick. He booted the ball, which sailed 63 K Jason Elam celebrates after splitting the yards through the uprights and tied uprights on a 63-yard field goal which tied the NFL record. Tom Dempsey’s 28-year-old record. Elam’s cleats from that game are currently displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Percentage 54.7 47.6 60.3 51.4 72.2
WILD WEST
elam’s career bests
This season, the Falcons battled the AFC West, which is familiar territory for kicker Jason Elam. The 16-year veteran has competed in 92 games against AFC West opponents (Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego and Denver), 90 of which as a member of the Denver Broncos.
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)
Kansas City Oakland San Diego Denver Total
Games 30 30 31 1
1-19 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0
20-29 14/14 26/27 17/19 0/0
30-39 20/23 19/19 17/18 1/1
92
0/0
57/60
57/61
40-49 12/16 11/19 11/19 1/1
50-59 Total Pct. PATs 5/8 51/61 .836 78/78 3/5 59/70 .843 63/63 7/10 52/66 .788 80/80 0/0 2/2 1.000 2/2
Pts 231 240 236 8
35/55 15/23 164/199 .824 223/223 715
PATs Attempted Points Scored PATs Made 7 vs. Philadelphia (10/20/05) 7 vs. Philadelphia (10/20/05) 16, four times (last vs. Chicago 10/12/08)
WING TIPS Matt Ryan Quarterback 6-4, 220 pounds Rookie Boston College
2
Selected as a first round (3rd overall) draft choice by the Falcons in 2008 Starting early Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed nine of 13 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown for a 137.0 passer rating in his first career start under center against Detroit in Week 1. Ryan became the first Falcons rookie quarterback to start a season opener since Steve Bartkowski in 1975. On Atlanta’s first offensive possession of the 2008 season, the Falcons recorded a three-play, 74-yard drive that was capped by a WR Michael Jenkins 62yard touchdown on Ryan’s first career Quarterback Matt Ryan NFL pass. Ryan became the first quarterback to throw a touchdown on his first career pass since October 8, 2000 when Michael Bishop completed the feat as member of the New England Patriots. The 62-yard touchdown strike made Ryan the first player to throw a touchdown pass of 50 yards or longer in the first quarter of his NFL debut since Roger Staubach tossed a 75-yard touchdown to Lance Rentzel in 1969. Quarterback Roger Staubach
already a first Matt Ryan and Ravens QB Joe Flacco started their respective Week 1 match-ups under center marking the first time since 2003 a rookie quarterback started on opening day (Kyle Boller, Baltimore). The last time the league saw two rookie QBs starting on the same day came in 1971 when Archie Manning (Saints) and Jim Plunkett (Patriots) started at quarterback. In the past 11 seasons (1998-2008), only five rookie quarterbacks prior to Ryan and Flacco have started the first game of the regular season. In Week 1 of the 2008 campagin, both Ryan and Flacco recorded victories in their first career starts. Rookie QBs Starting In Regular Season Openers (‘98-‘08) Player Year Note Team Atlanta Matt Ryan 2008 NFC Wild Card Game Baltimore Joe Flacco 2008 AFC Wild Card Game Baltimore Kyle Boller 2003 AFC North Champs Houston David Carr 2002 Won season opener Carolina Chris Weinke 2001 Won season opener Indianapolis Peyton Manning 1998 Lost season opener San Diego Ryan Leaf 1998 Won season opener
MR. OCTOBER Quarterback Matt Ryan was named NFC Rookie of the Month (for October) becoming the first player in franchise history to earn conference Rookie of the Month accolades. In three games during October, Ryan completed 61 of 100 passes for 772 yards and five touchdowns while leading the Falcons to a 2-1 record. Atlanta defeated the Green Bay Packers by a 27-24 margin on October 5 as Ryan threw for 194 yards with two touchdowns. The second victory of the month was an unprecedented comeback against the Chicago Bears 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 passing outing) and a 116.1 passer rating. With 11 seconds remaining in the game, Ryan completed a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Michael Jenkins, setting up the game-winning field goal as time expired from kicker Jason Elam. In Week 8, the Falcons fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, however, Ryan totaled 277 passing yards in the outing while throwing two touchdown strikes to wide receiver Roddy White.
flying high
Quarterback Matt Ryan
Season Player *Jeff George 1995 Steve Bartkowski 1981 *Jeff George 1994 Steve Bartkowski 1980 Chris Miller 1989 Matt Ryan 2008 Steve Bartkowski 1983 Chris Chandler 1998 *Bobby Hebert 1996 *Chris Miller 1991 *Bobby Hebert 1993 *Run ‘N Shoot Offense
This season, quarterback Matt Ryan completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns. His streak of nine consecutive games with 200 or more passing yards ended against Minnesota in Week 16. He also recorded seven contests with a 60 percent or better completion percentage. Ryan’s passing total ranked sixth in a singleseason in Falcons annals. Below are the top 10 Atlanta quarterbacks in passing yards in a season. Passing Yards 4,143 3,829 3,734 3,544 3,459 3,440 3,167 3,154 3,152 3,103 2,978 Quarterback Steve Bartkowski
ONE AND ONLY This season, Matt Ryan and Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco became the first NFL rookie quarterbacks to have played in all 16 games and thrown fewer than 15 interceptions. Only three prior rookie quarterbacks have started 16 games of a season (Rick Mirer in 1993, Peyton Manning in 1998 and David Carr in 2002) and none threw fewer than 15 INTs in their respective seasons.
WING TIPS dome sweet dome
highly rated
In Atlanta’s eight home contests this season, quarterback Matt Ryan showed flashes of brilliance and looked anything but a rookie. Ryan completed 121 of 188 passing attempts for 1,777 yards and six touchdowns while guiding the Falcons to a 7-1 record. He also posted three touchdown passes of 60 yards or more. The first was a 62-yard strike to wide receiver Michael Jenkins on his first career pass against Detroit. Two weeks later against Kansas City, Ryan hit wide receiver Roddy White for a 70-yard score, marking the longest passing touchdown in his career. In Week 10 against New Orleans, Ryan found RB Jerious Norwood for a 67-yard touchdown, the longest reception and score for the third-year running back in his career. In eight home games, Ryan has also accumulated a 94.7 passer rating. This season in dome venues, Ryan completed 158 of 245 passes for 2,226 yards and eight touchdowns en route to an 8-2 record.
Against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, Matt Ryan completed 17 of 22 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and a 138.4 passer rating. The rating is his highest this season, which topped his first career start against Detroit (137.0). His mark against the Raiders was the ninth-highest passer rating this season among all quarterbacks in the league. Below are the highest single-game passer ratings this season.
Week 1 3 6 10 11 12 15 16
Matt Ryan’s Home Performances This Season Opponent Comp Att Yards TD INT QB Rating Detroit 9 13 161 1 0 137.0 Kansas City 12 18 192 1 0 120.6 Chicago 22 30 301 1 0 116.1 New Orleans 16 23 248 2 0 134.0 Denver 20 33 250 0 1 71.5 Carolina 17 27 259 0 0 94.5 Tampa Bay 15 23 206 0 2 57.5 St. Louis 10 21 160 1 2 49.8
raiding oakland In a Week 9 contest against the Oakland Raiders, quarterback Matt Ryan completed 13 of 16 passes in the first half for 184 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 24-0 Falcons win. In the opening drive of the game, wide receiver Michael Jenkins slipped by former Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall to haul in a 37-yard touchdown grab, his first of two touchdowns in the game. The score marked the fourth time that Atlanta tallied points on its opening offensive possession this season. Ryan also tabbed the contest as his third multiple-touchdown game after totaling two TDs at Green Bay and two at Philadelphia. He achieved first half career-highs in passing yardage (184), completion percentage (81.3) and tallied a passer rating of 154.2. Ryan went on to finish the game with a career-high passer rating of 138.4 and final completion percentage of 77.3. Playing in front of 60,000 hostile fans at OaklandAlameda County Coliseum, Matt Ryan guided the Falcons to a victory against the Oakland Raiders and earned 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 Week honors) as one of two Falcons who have earned conference accolades this season.
Player Kurt Warner, Ari Drew Brees, NO Drew Brees, NO Matt Schaub, Hou Shaun Hill, SF Philip Rivers, SD Philip Rivers, SD Peyton Manning, Ind Matt Ryan, Atl
Date 9/14 11/24 10/12 10/26 11/16 10/12 12/28 12/18 11/2
Opponent Miami Green Bay Oakland Cincinnati St. Louis New England Denver Indianapolis Oakland
Rating 158.3 157.5 144.4 144.0 142.3 141.9 141.0 140.7 138.4
bear attack In a Week 6 meeting against the Chicago Bears, Matt Ryan completed 22 of 30 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown in a 2220 victory. The 301 yards mark the first time Ryan reached the 300-yard passing plateau in his rookie season. The total was also the highest for the Falcons as a team since QB Chris Redman posted 315 yards last season against Arizona in Week 17. With 11 seconds remaining in the game, Ryan completed a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Michael Jenkins, setting up the game-winning field goal from kicker Jason Elam. Ryan also completed one touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White in the fourth quarter, which was his fifth scoring strike of the season. On Atlanta’s first offensive drive of the game, Ryan completed all five of his passing attempts for 57 yards en route to a Falcons field goal and a 3-0 lead. He continued his completion streak and went eight for eight to start the game while tallying 107 yards. Ryan also posted a previous season-high in first half passing yards with 159 on 14 completions. For his performance against the Bears, Ryan was named Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week (6) on an online vote from fans at NFL.com.
X MARKS THE SPOT This season, Matt Ryan completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns for a 61.1 completion percentage. The rookie quarterback did an excellent job finding his targets for big gains as he ranked third in the NFL in yards per completion with a 12.98 mark. Below is a look at the top five quarterbacks in the category. Yards Per Completion Quarterback Jake Delhomme, Car 13.37 Matt Ryan, Atl 12.98 Philip Rivers, SD 12.85 Tony Romo, Dal 12.49 Drew Brees, NO 12.27
perfect 10 Matt Ryan won 11 of 16 starts this season and became the first rookie quarterback in Falcons history to win 11 games. Ryan also threw for 3,440 yards and also became the first Falcons rookie to reach the 3,000-yard plateau.
four and looking for more Matt Ryan became the first rookie quarterback in the NFL to start his first six games under center and win at least four since the NFL merger took place in 1970.
WING TIPS pace yourself
IMPACT IN Beantown
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was impressive leading the offense throughout the season. In 2008, he put up numbers that are not conducive to a rookie quarterback and made dents in several franchise seasonal records. Ryan compiled a season passer rating of 87.7 and faired better at the Georgia Dome, posting a 71 record while averaging a 94.7 rating. He also totaled nine games with zero interceptions and ended a streak of nine consecutive contests with 200-plus passing yards in Week 15. Ryan’s 87.7 quarterback rating, ranks 12th in a campaign in Falcons history. Below is a look at the top Falcons passer ratings in a year. Year *1992 1969 1998 1983 1997 1985 1992 2007 1984 1995 1980 2008
Quarterback Wade Wilson Bob Berry Chris Chandler Steve Bartkowski Chris Chandler Steve Bartkowski Chris Miller Chris Redman Steve Bartkowski Jeff George Steve Bartkowski Matt Ryan
Rating 110.2 106.7 100.9 97.6 95.1 92.8 90.7 90.4 89.7 89.5 88.2 87.7
Quarterback Matt Ryan emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate during his senior season at Boston College after completing 388 of 654 passes for 4,507 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was also named ACC Player of Year for his efforts last season. Below is a look at other highlights and accomplishments during Ryan’s career with the Eagles.
Career: Completed 807 of 1,347 passes for 9,313 yards and 56 touchdowns. His career completions and attempts are both school records. His 9,313 passing yards placed him third in school annals behind Doug Flutie and Glenn Foley.
*Only started three games Ryan finished the season with 434 pass attempts, which ranks seventh in a season in Falcons annals. His 265 completions at the conclusion of the season also ranks seventh in franchise history.
2007: Boston College ranked eighth in the nation in total offense while Ryan established school records for 400-yard passing performances 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 300 passes in a season (388).
Matty ice From 2005-07, Matt Ryan started in 31 games at Boston College, including every game in 2006 and 2007. Over the span of his 31 starts during that time, Ryan and the Eagles recorded an 11-4 record in games decided by one score (seven points) or less. Ten of the 11 wins also came against teams who finished their respective seasons with a winning record. Below is a look at the Boston College victories decided by one score or less. 2007
2006
10/25 at Va. Tech 14-10 8/31 11/17 at Clemson 20-17 9/9 12/28 vs. Mich. State 24-21 9/16 10/21 12/30
2005
16-13 Central Mich. 31-24 9/24 Clemson Clemson 34-33 10/15 Wake Forest 35-30 BYU 30-23 12/28 Boise State 27-21 at Fla. State 24-19 Navy 25-24
Ryan continued this trend to the professional ranks as he led the Falcons to a 6-2 record this season in games decided by one score or less. The Falcons recorded wins against Green Bay in Week 5, Chicago in Week 6, San Diego in Week 13, Tampa Bay in Week 15, 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 second remaining to set-up kicker Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal. Atlanta’s two losses by one possession were a 24-20 defeat versus Denver in a Week 11 meeting and a 29-25 loss against New Orleans in Week 14.
sweet 16 Quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) are the first rookies in NFL history to start all 16 regular season games and lead their respective teams to the playoffs.
His 31 touchdown passes broke the old school season-record of 27 by Doug Flutie in 1984. His career-high 435 passing yards against Georgia Tech ranks sixth 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 contributing 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 per game (245.2).
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 2 (five times), last at San Diego (11/30/08)
Longest Passes Quarterback Rating 70t vs. Kansas City (9/21/08) 138.4 at Oakland (11/2/08) 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)
WING TIPS Michael Turner Running Back 5-10, 244 pounds 5th year in the NFL Northern Illinois
33
Signed by the Falcons as an unrestricted free agent (S.D.) in 2008.
four score and seven In a Week 12 meeting against the Carolina Panthers, Michael Turner tied a franchise record with four touchdowns in one game, tying T.J. Duckett’s mark in 2004. The game was also his fourthcareer multiple-touchdown contest and his second three score or more game. Turner’s career-high of four TDs made him only the second Falcons running back in team history to register four touchdowns in a game. Turner finished the season ranked second in the league in scoring (non-kickers) with 102 points and second in the NFL rushing touchdowns with 17. Below is a look at Turner’s multiple-touchdown games this season. Opponent Carolina Kansas City Denver Detroit
CENTURY MARK Running back Michael Turner posted his 11th career 100-yard game after totaling 25 carries for 208 yards and one touchdown against St. Louis in Week 17. Turner topped the 200-yard mark for the second time this season and hit the century mark for the eighth occasion (220 yards vs. Detroit, 104 yards vs. Kansas City, 121 yards at Green Bay, 139 at Oakland, 117 yards vs. Carolina, 120 yards at San Diego and 152 yards vs. Tampa Bay) and recorded 1,699 yards this season, which ranks second in the NFL. Below is a look at Turner’s career 100-yard games. Date 9/7/08 12/28/08 12/14/08 10/7/07 11/2/08 9/17/06 10/5/08 11/30/08 11/23/08 12/18/05 9/21/08
Opponent Carries vs. Detroit 22 vs. St. Louis 25 vs. Tampa Bay 32 at Denver 10 at Oakland 31 vs. Tennessee 13 at Green Bay 26 at San Diego 31 vs. Carolina 24 at Indianapolis 8 vs. Kansas City 23
Yards 220 208 152 147 139 138 121 120 117 113 104
TDs 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 4 1 3
Year 1998 1985 2008 1983 1984 2005
Player Jamal Anderson Gerald Riggs Michael Turner Williams Andrews Gerald Riggs Warrick Dunn
Yards 1,846 1,719 1,699 1,567 1,486 1,416
Rushing TDs 4 3 2 2
Against the Panthers, Turner first found the end zone on a oneyard rush in the second quarter, scored for the second occasion on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter, logged his third TD on a oneyard run with 7:13 remaining and tallied his last on a 16-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to seal a Falcons 45-28 victory. Falcons Most Rushing Touchdowns in a Game Touchdowns Game Player 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 the second quarter, which marked his 17th rushing touchdown. The last score continued his new franchise record for the most rushing TDs in a campaign, which topped the previous record of 14 held by Jamal Anderson (1998). Falcons Most Rushing Touchdowns in a Season Touchdowns Year Player Michael Turner 17 2008 Jamal Anderson 14 1998 Gerald Riggs 13 1984
burning through 1,000 At the 12:46 mark in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, Falcons running back Michael Turner rushed for a six-yard gain and topped the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his career. Turner is Atlanta’s first running back to accomplish the feat since 2006 (Warrick Dunn, 1,140) and the 20th running back in franchise history to reach 1,000 yards in a season. In 2008, Turner recorded Running back Michael Turner reached the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his 1,699 rushing yards, which ranks career. third in a campaign in Falcons annals. Below is a look at Atlanta’s top five rushers in a season.
Date 11/23/08 9/21/08 11/16/08 9/7/08
rushing to the top Running back Michael Turner totaled 1,699 rushing yards, which ranked second in the NFL following the regular season. In a Week 17 meeting against the St. Louis Rams, Turner posted 208 yards and fell just 61 yards shy of Adrian Peterson who paced the NFL in the category with 1,760 yards. Turner’s second place ranking is the highest mark for a Falcons running back since Jamal Anderson led the NFL in rushing at the conclusion of the 1998 season with 1,846 yards on 410 carries. Below is a look at the top three NFL rushers at the conclusion of the 2008 regular season
Rank 1 2 3
2008 NFL Rushing Player Adrian Peterson, Min Michael Turner, Atl DeAngelo Williams, Car
Leaders Att. Yards Avg. TDs 363 1,760 4.8 10 376 1,699 4.5 17 273 1,515 5.5 18
WING TIPS conference accolades
first impression
Michael Turner was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week on three occassions and Fed Ex Ground Player of the Week twice in 2008. Turner earned both accolades for his performance against the Detroit Lions in his Atlanta Falcons debut, earned conference accolades again following a Week 3 game against Kansas City and posted his latest in the season finale against the Rams. His last Fed Ex Ground Player of the Week recognition came in Week 12 after recording four touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.
Seldom has a new acquisition to a team made as impressive of an opening day performance as running back Michael Turner made against the Detroit Lions at the Georgia Dome in Week 1. In his first game in a Falcons uniform, Turner set a team single-game rushing record after posting 220 yards on 22 carries for an extraordinary 10.0 yards per carry average. Not only are the 220 yards a careerhigh for Turner, but he eclipsed Atlanta’s old record held by Gerald Riggs (202 yards) which was previously set on September 2, 1984 at New Orleans. In the regular season finale, Turner also recorded the second-highest single-game rushing total with 208 yards against the Rams.
Turner set a Falcons single-game rushing record with 220 yards on 22 carries for a 10.0 yards per carry average in the season opener against Detroit while adding two touchdowns in a Falcons 34-21 winning effort. The two touchdowns marked his first multiple-touchdown game of his career. Turner contributed with a 66-yard touchdown run on Atlanta’s second offensive possession of the game, which is the fourth-longest rush in his career and Running back Michael Turner recorded the eighth-longest carry in Falcons the Falcons single-game rushing record with 220 yards against Detroit. history. His 220 yards against the Lions are also the most in NFL annals by a player in his first game with a team. Against the Chiefs, Turner recorded his fifth-career 100-yard game after totaling 23 carries for 104 yards and career-high three touchdowns. He sparked the Falcons first scoring drive of the game when he posted a 38-yard rush in the first quarter and capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run, his first of the day. Turner found the end zone on two more occasions logging his second career multiple-touchdown game. In Week 12 against Carolina, Turner posted 24 carries for 117 yards and four touchdowns, becoming only the second player in team history to tally four touchdowns in a game. The performance also marked his fifth 100-plus rushing contest of the season. In the 2008 season finale, Turner posted 208 rushing yards, the second-highest total in a game in Falcons history. He also contributed with one touchdown in the winning effort. Turner became the first Falcons player to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week accolades three times in a year and the first player to earn it twice in a three-week span in team history. Following his record-setting performance against Detroit in Week 1, Turner became the first Falcons offensive player to earn player of the week honors after a season opener since 1984 (Gerald Riggs).
half way there Following the first half of play against the St. Louis Rams in the season finale at the Georgia Dome, running back Michael Turner tallied 13 carries for 59 yards. This season, when the fifth-year running back rushed for 50 yards or more in the first half, the Falcons registered an 8-0 record.
Falcons Top 5 Single-Game Rushing Records Player Game Carries Yards Michael Turner 9/7/08 vs. Detroit 22 220 Michael Turner 12/28/08 vs. St. Louis 25 208 Gerald Riggs 9/24/84 at New Orleans 35 202 Gerald Riggs 12/8/85 at Kansas City 26 197 Erric Pegram 9/19/93 at San Francisco 27 192 The five-year veteran also added two touchdowns in a Falcons 3421 winning effort against Detroit, which marked his first-career multiple-touchdown game. Turner’s last touchdown prior to the season opener came on October 7, 2007 at Denver as a member of the San Diego Chargers. Finally, on Atlanta’s second offensive possession in the first quarter against the Lions, Turner posted a 66-yard touchdown, which is the fifth-longest rush in his career and the ninth-longest rush in Falcons history. The 66-yard run led to 117 rushing yards in the first quarter, which marked the most in an opening quarter of a game for the Falcons in at least two decades. Turner topped his Week 1 season-high rush after scampering for a 70-yard gain against St. Louis in Week 17, marking the Falcons fourth-longest carry in team history. Falcons Top 9 Longest Rushes Player Game Warrick Dunn 10/15/06 vs. NYG Jerious Norwood 10/1/06 vs. Arizona Byron Hanspard 9/14/97 vs. Oakland Michael Turner 12/28/08 vs. St. Louis Jerious Norwood 12/3/06 at Washington Warrick Dunn 10/19/03 vs. New Orleans Jerious Norwood 10/15/07 vs. NYG Mike Rozier 12/30/90 vs. Dallas Michael Turner 9/7/08 vs. Detroit Harmon Wages 12/7/69 vs. New Orleans
Long Rush 90t 78t 77 70 69t 69t 67t 67 66t 66t
grand opening If Michael Turner’s career day against Detroit in the regular season opener wasn’t already impressive, the fifth-year running back fell 30 yards short of tying a record held by a legendary running back and Hall of Famer. Turner’s 220 yards against the Lions marked the 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 his first game with a new team.
WING TIPS to the finish line
franchise gain
This season, running back Michael Turner ranked second in the NFL in fourth quarter rushing, contributing with 389 yards on 74 rushes and five touchdowns. The Falcons finished the year with an 11-1 record when taking a lead into the fourth quarter. Below are the league’s top fourth quarter rushers.
Michael Turner’s rushing total against St. Louis in Week 17 (208 yards) contributed to his final season mark of 1,699 rushing yards, which surpassed William Andrews’ total of 1,567 yards (1983) for third place on the Falcons single-season rushing yards list. Turner finished the season 20 yards shy of second place on the list (Gerald Riggs, 1,719 yards in 1985) and 147 yards behind Jamal Anderson’s record of 1,846 yards, which he set in the 1998 season.
Rank 1 2 3 4
2008 Fourth Quarter Rushing Leaders Player Carries Yards Avg. Steve Slaton, Hou 83 464 5.6 Michael Turner, Atl 74 389 5.3 Le’Ron McClain, Bal 80 388 4.9 Clinton Portis, Was 80 378 4.7
TDs 5 5 3 3
big gains Running backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood contributed in several ways through the 2008 season. Another example of the powerful duo’s success this year were the 62 combined rushes of 10 or more yards between the two. Turner finished the season ranked first in the category. 2008 Rushes of 10-Plus Yards 10+ Yd. Rushes 10+ Yd. TDs 10+ Yd Avg. Player Michael Turner, Atl 45 3 18.4 Adrian Peterson, Min 42 5 21.6 DeAngelo Williams, Car 39 10 21.6 Chris Johnson, Ten 36 5 19.0
carrying the load In the first starting role in his five-year career, Michael Turner had not seen close to the amount of carries the Falcons coaching staff had given him this season. Turner responded well and showed no signs 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. Rushes Player Michael Turner, Atl 376 Adrian Peterson, Min 363 Clinton Portis, Was 342 Matt Forte, Chi 316 Ryan Grant, GB 312
Yards 1,699 1,760 1,487 1,238 1,203
Touchdowns 17 10 9 8 4
five and counting Michael Turner’s three touchdowns in a Falcons 38-14 win over the Chiefs gave him a total of five TDs in his first three games with Atlanta. That total matched the highest total that any player has recorded in his first three games for a team during the NFL's modern era (since 1933). The last player to do that before Turner was his former teammate, LaDainian Tomlinson, for the Chargers in 2001. The all-time NFL record in a player's first three games with a team is six touchdowns by Dutch Sternaman of the Decatur Staleys in 1920.
A NEW SET Running back Michael Turner was a reliable option for the Falcons when the team looked to earn a first down. The five-year veteran finished the season tied for first in the NFL with 86 first downs, 84 of which came on the ground. Turner has also converted 10 of 13 third-and-one rushing opportunities for a new set of downs. Below is a look at the league leaders in first downs. Player Michael Turner, Atl Matt Forte, Chi Clinton Portis, Was Adrian Peterson, Min
Rush 84 63 75 81
Rec 2 23 11 4
Total 86 86 86 85
two-headed monster The duo of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood gave the Falcons a signifcant “one-two punch” at the running back position. Following the season opener against Detroit, the two combined for 313 yards (Turner - 220, Norwood - 93) and were seven yards shy of tallying a 200 and 100-yard rusher in the same game. At the conclusion of the season, Turner ranks second in the league in rushing while Norwood contributed with 489 yards. Both running backs posted impressive rushing averages as Turner held a 4.5 mark while Norwood contributed with a 5.1 average. From 200708, Norwood ranks at the top of the league in rushing average (minimum 100 attempts). In 2006, Turner set his career-high with a 6.3 average on 80 carries, which ranked second in the NFL behind Norwood. Turner also registered a 5.9 average on 57 attempts 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.) Rushing Avg. Player Jerious Norwood, Atl 5.6 Leon Washington, NYJ 5.4 DeAngelo Williams, Car 5.4 Kevin Faulk, NE 5.3 Michael Turner, Atl
4.5
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)
WING TIPS Roddy White Wide Receiver 6-0, 208 pounds 4th year in the NFL UAB
84
Selected as a first round (27th overall) draft choice by the Falcons in 2005 BACK-TO-BACK FOR 1,000 Last season, wide receiver Roddy White recorded 1,202 receiving yards becoming the first Falcons receiver since 1999 to top the 1,000-yard receiving mark (Terance Mathis). White also established numerous career-highs in receptions (83), yards (1,202) and touchdowns (six) while posting five 100-yard games.
Following a Week 13 meeting at San Diego in 2008, White topped the 1,000-yard plateau following his first two receptions of 19 and nine yards in the first quarter and became the first receiver to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since Terance Mathis accomplished the feat in 1998 (1,136) and ‘99 (1,016). Following a career-high 164-yard performance in Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints, White also became the first receiver in franchise history to post back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns. Following the regular season finale against St. Louis, White caught three passes for 48 yards to set a new Falcons single-season receiving yardage record after ending the year with 1,382 yards. With his three catches against the Rams, the fourth-year receiver finished the regular season with a streak of 36 contests with at least one catch and set new career-bests with 88 catches and seven 100-yard games. Below is a look at the top three single-season receivers in franchise history. Player Roddy White Alfred Jenkins Terance Mathis
Year 2008 1981 1994
Yardage Total 1,382 1,358 1,342
Below is a glance at Falcons receivers who have tallied back-toback 1,000-yard seasons in franchise history. Player Roddy White Terance Mathis Terance Mathis Andre Rison Alfred Jenkins
Years (Yards) 2007 (1,202) and 2008 (1,382) 1998 (1,136) and 1999 (1,016) 1994 (1,342) and 1995 (1,039) 1992 (1,119), 1993 (1,242) and 1994 (1,088) 1980 (1,035) and 1981 (1,358)
tops through the air Roddy White fell just short of becoming the first receiver in franchise history to lead the NFL in receiving yards since Alfred Jenkins accomplished the feat in 1981 (1,358 yards). To this point, Jenkins is the only Atlanta receiver to have led the NFL in receiving yards in a season. This year, White logged 1,382 yards, which ranked third in the NFC and fourth in the league. Below is a look at the 2008 top five in NFL receiving yardage. Player Andre Johnson, Hou Larry Fitzgerald, Ari Steve Smith, Car Roddy White, Atl Calvin Johnson, Det
Rec. 115 96 78 88 78
Avg. 13.7 14.9 18.2 15.7 17.1
TD 8 12 6 7 12
Wide receiver Roddy White stiff arms a Denver defender en route to a 102-yard performance against the Broncos in Week 11.
DYNAMIC DUO Roddy White and Michael Turner became the first Falcons duo to record 1,000-yard rushing and receiving campaigns in the same season since 1998. Atlanta only saw seven previous occasions where a receiver and running back both posted 1,000-yard seasons, including back-to-back years from running back William Andrews and wide receiver Alfred Jenkins. White and Turner were the first teammates in WR Roddy White the NFL to have both recorded over 1,000 yards this season. Below is a look Atlanta’s 1,000-yard combinations in franchise history. RB Michael Turner
Year 2008 1998
1,000-Yard Rusher Michael Turner (1,699) Jamal Anderson (1,846)
1995
Craig Heyward (1,083)
1993 1984 1981 1980 1979
Erric Pegram (1,185) Gerald Riggs (1,486) William Andrews (1,301) William Andrews (1,308) William Andrews (1,023)
record that mark This season, the Falcons finished 4-3 in games where wide receiver Roddy White totaled 100 or more receiving yards. Atlanta was also 5-1 when White recorded one or more touchdowns in a game.
Yards 1,575 1,431 1,421 1,382 1,331
1,000-Yard Receiver Roddy White (1,382) Tony Martin (1,181) Terance Mathis (1,136) Eric Metcalf (1,189), Terance Mathis (1,039) Bert Emanuel (1,039) Andre Rison (1,242) Stacey Bailey (1,138) Alfred Jenkins (1,358) Alfred Jenkins (1,035) Wallace Francis (1,013)
WING TIPS breaking 100
airborne
Following a Week 14 meeting against New Orleans, wide receiver Roddy White totaled his seventh 100-yard contest of the season (breaking a franchise record) and the 14th of his career. After finishing with 112 yards against San Diego in Week 13, White topped his career total of five 100-yard perfomances in a campaign (2007). Below is a look at his 100-yard games this season. Game Week 3 vs. Kansas City Week 5 at Green Bay Week 6 vs. Chicago Week 7 at Philadelphia Week 11 vs. Denver Week 13 at San Diego Week 14 at New Orleans
Rec 5 8 9 8 5 6 10
Yards 119 132 112 113 102 112 164
On top of a potent rushing attack, the Falcons balanced their offense with impressive receiving numbers, led by Roddy White who posted over 1,000 receiving yards this season. This year, Atlanta ranked second in the NFL in receiving average with a 13.0 yards per catch mark. Below is a look at the top three teams in the category. Team Carolina Panthers Atlanta Falcons San Diego Chargers Avg 23.8 16.5 12.4 14.1 20.4 18.7 16.4
Long TD 70t 1 37 1 26 1 55t 2 37 0 38 0 59 0
Player T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin Roddy White, Atl Tony Gonzalez, KC Jason Witten, Dal Derrick Mason, Bal
Rec 31 29 29 29 26
Yards 344 516 325 315 355
Avg 11.1 17.8 11.2 10.9 13.7
Long TD 26 3 70t 2 28 2 30 1 35 2
catch this This season, Roddy White caught 88 passes, which ranked third in the NFC and ninth in the NFL. His 2008 reception total eclipsed his career-high of 83, which was previously set last season. Below is a look at the top nine receivers in the NFL in terms of receptions. Player Andre Johnson, Hou Wes Welker, NE Brandon Marshall, Den Larry Fitzgerald, Ari Tony Gonzalez, KC T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin Eddie Royal, Den Anquan Boldin, Ari Roddy White, Atl
Rec 115 111 104 96 96 92 91 89 88
Yards 1,575 1,165 1,265 1,431 1,058 904 980 1,038 1,382
Avg 13.7 10.5 12.2 14.9 11.0 9.8 10.8 11.7 15.7
Long TD 65 8 64 3 47 6 78t 12 35 10 46 4 93t 5 79t 11 70t 7
Yards 3,288 3,440 4,009
Avg. 13.4 13.0 12.8
pro bowl caliber play The year 2007 was without a doubt a breakout campaign for wide receiver Roddy White. In 2008, White continued his strong play as he set numerous season and career marks. Most notably, White topped his career-high in receiving yards (1,202) after finishing the year with a franchise-best 1,382. He also overtook his career highs in receptions and touchdowns as well.
IN THE CLUTCH Wide receiver Roddy White established himself as a go-to receiver for quarterback Matt Ryan. Along with leading the team in receiving, White also ranked second in the NFL in third down receptions (29) and led the league in third down receiving yards (516). He added two touchdowns on third down plays, including a long catch of 70 yards, which went for a score. Below is a glance at the league’s top players in the category at the end of the year.
Rec. 246 265 312
Previous Career High 2008 Total Category Receiving Yards 1,202 1,382 Receptions 83 88 Receiving Touchdowns 6 7 Long reception (70t which was set in Week 3)
Rowdy Roddy Along with recording a career-long reception of 70 yards in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roddy White ranked third in the league this season in receptions of over 25 yards with 14. His total also includes catches of 46 yards (Week 1 vs. Detroit), 55 yards (Week 8 at Philadelphia), 38 yards (Week 13 at San Diego) and 59 yards (Week 14 at New Orleans). Below is a look at the league leaders in the category. Receiving Yards Receptions of 25+ Player Steve Smith, Car 1,421 19 Calvin Johnson, Det 1,331 17 Roddy White, Atl 1,382 14 Two players tied 13
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)
WING TIPS high definition
something special
Falcons wide receiver/punt returner Harry Douglas scored his first two career touchdowns in a Week 12 meeting against Carolina. He first found the end zone on a seven-yard end around in the first quarter to give the Falcons a 10-0 lead. “HD” then became the 10th player in Falcons history and the first since 2004 (Allen Rossum) to return a punt for a touchdown when he returned a kick 61 yards in the fourth quarter. Douglas’ Wide receiver Harry Douglas return is the longest in his career, topping the previous mark of 33 yards against New Orleans in Week 10. Below is a look at the last five punt returns for a touchdown in Falcons history.
Harry Douglas was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Carolina Panthers in a Week 12 victory. Douglas notched his first career punt return for a touchdown when he returned a kick 61 yards in the fourth quarter against the Panthers, giving the Falcons a 38-21 lead. The return made Douglas the 10th player in Falcons history and the first 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 high of 33 yards, which he set against New Orleans in Week 10. Atlanta witnessed several other contributions from Douglas against Carolina as the rookie posted a seven-yard end around, which went for his first career touchdown in the first quarter. He led the team in receiving with four receptions for 92 yards (23.0 avg.) and totaled career-highs in offensive touches with six (two rushing, four receiving), all-purpose yards with 188 (which included three rushing, 92 receiving and 93 yards on punt returns) and a long reception of 69 yards, which he registered in the fourth quarter. Douglas became the third Falcons player this season to earn conference accolades. Running back Michael Turner was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following performances against Detroit (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 24-0 shutout against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9.
Punt Return Yardage Player Harry Douglas 61t Allen Rossum 75t Allen Rossum 59t Tim Dwight 70t Tim Dwight 70t
Game 11/3/08 vs. Carolina 10/24/04 vs. Kansas City 11/23/03 vs. Tennessee 1/3/00 vs. San Francisco 10/1/00 vs. Philadelphia
Along with a 61-yard punt return, Douglas totaled career-highs in offensive touches with six (two rushing, four receiving) and all purpose yards with 188 (including three rushing, 92 receiving and 93 yards on punt returns) against the Panthers. He also became the Falcons third rookie this season to account for a touchdown along with QB Matt Ryan’s 16 touchdown passes and one rushing TD and CB Chevis Jackson’s 95-yard interception return in Week 10. Finally, Douglas posted a career-long reception with a 69-yard catch in the fourth quarter against the Panthers. He finished the game with 92 receiving yards, which led the team and fell four yards short of his career-high (96 vs. Chicago, October 12). Below is a glance at Atlanta’s longest receptions in a game this season. Reception Long Player Roddy White 70t Harry Douglas 69 Jerious Norwood 67t Michael Jenkins 62t
Game Week 3 vs. Kansas City Week 12 vs. Carolina Week 10 vs. New Orleans Week 1 vs. Detroit
what a difference In 2008, Atlanta witnessed a drastic difference in statistics from the 2007 regular season totals. Along with the most notable difference, the team’s record (11-5), the Falcons also dominated several offensive categories from the previous season. Below is a look at some comparisons.
W-L PPG Rush YPG Pass TDs-INT Sacks Allowed
2007 4-12 16.2 95.0 18-15 47
2008 11-5 24.4 152.7 (2nd in NFL) 16-11 17
shut out and shut down In Week 9, the Atlanta Falcons made its first trip to Oakland since 2000 and not only brought a victory back to Atlanta, but shut out the Raiders, 24-0. The result was the first shutout for the Falcons since November 24, 2002 in a road meeting against the Carolina Panthers (41-0). In the same year, the Falcons shut out Carolina again, this time at the Georgia Dome, 30-0, on October 20. Safety Erik Coleman preserved the shutout after intercepting Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell in the end zone for his second pick of the season and the ninth of his career. In total, Atlanta sacked Russell on four occasions, three of which came from defensive end John Abraham, while defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux recovered 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 453 net yards compared to Oakland’s 77, which was the lowest total for the Raiders in a game since 1961. Oakland’s 10 net passing yards is the lowest total for a Falcons opponent since December 9, 1973 when the Falcons held St. Louis to nine net yards. The Raiders 67 rushing yards is the lowest mark for a Falcons opponent since October 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 first half, Atlanta led Oakland in first downs, 20-0, which was the highest difference since October 28, 2001 when Tampa Bay posted 20 first 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 to negative net yardage in the first half of a game since November 1, 1992 when the San Diego Chargers defense held the Indianapolis Colts to negative net yardage in the first two quarters.
WING TIPS Making a statement
RUNNIN’ WILD
Atlanta notched a field goal on its opening offensive possession against the St. Louis Rams in Week 17 when kicker Jason Elam split the uprights from 39 yards. The field goal marked the eighth occasion the Falcons scored on their opening drive of the game, which led to an 8-0 record. Atlanta also posted an 11-1 record when scoring first in a game in 2008.
Dating back to the 2000 season, the Falcons have remained consistent with their rushing attack, which includes leading the NFL in the category for three seasons (2004, 2005 and 2006). Part of Atlanta’s success in the rushing game has been gaining yardage in chunks. Over the last nine seasons (2000-08), the Falcons rank second in the league in rushes of 10-plus yards.
Week 1
Opponent Detroit
5
Green Bay
6 9
Chicago Oakland
12 13 16 17
Carolina San Diego Minnesota St. Louis
Scoring Result QB Matt Ryan 62-yard touchdown pass to WR Michael Jenkins QB Matt Ryan 1-yard touchdown pass to TE Justin Peelle K Jason Elam 29-yard field goal QB Matt Ryan 37-yard touchdown pass to WR Michael Jenkins K Jason Elam 23-yard field goal K Jason Elam 35-yard field goal RB Michael Turner one-yard TD run K Jason Elam 39-yard field goal
Following a 12-yard touchdown run by running back Jerious Norwood on Atlanta’s second offensive possession against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, the Falcons registered their third contest in which they posted a rushing and receiving touchdown in the first quarter.
OFF TO A FAST START
NFL Team Leaders in 10+ Yard Rushes 2000-08 10+ Yard Rushing Plays Team Minnesota Vikings 541 Atlanta Falcons 525 Jacksonville Jaguars 516 Pittsburgh Steelers 512 New York Giants 499 Along with ranking second in the NFL in rushing plays of 10-plus yards from 2000-08, Atlanta contributed to this total with 69 plays of 10-plus rushing yards in 2008, which ranked second in the league behind the New York Giants. 2008 NFL Team Leaders in 10+ Yard Plays 10+ Yard Plays Team New York Giants 73 Atlanta Falcons 69 Carolina Panthers 63 Minnesota Vikings 59 Two teams tied 55
Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith stressed a fast start in each game in 2008 and the Falcons responded. This season, Atlanta outscored its opponent 114-52 in the opening 15 minutes of play. The Falcons 114 first quarter points led the NFL while the 52 first quarter points allowed ranked tied for third in the NFC. Below is a look at Atlanta’s first quarter point totals against their opponents this season, the top three teams in the NFL in first quarter scoring and the top three teams in first quarter points allowed in the NFC. Opponent 1st Quarter Score Opponent 1st Quarter Score Week 1 vs. Det 21-0 Week 10 vs. NO 7-3 Week 2 at TB 0-7 Week 11 vs. Den 3-7 Week 3 vs. KC 14-0 Week 12 vs. Car 10-0 Week 4 at Car 3-7 Week 13 at SD 6-7 Week 5 at GB 10-0 Week 14 at NO 0-7 Week 6 vs. Chi 6-0 Week 15 vs. TB 10-0 Week 8 at Phi 0-0 Week 16 at Min 7-7 Week 9 at Oak 14-0 Week 17 vs. Stl 3-7
2008 NFL Team Leaders in First Quarter Scoring First Quarter Points Team Atlanta Falcons 114 Chicago Bears 109 Denver Broncos 106 2008 NFC Team Leaders in First Quarter Points Allowed First Quarter Points Team New York Giants 39 Chicago Bears 47 Atlanta Falcons 52
POINT well TAKEN Atlanta’s 24 points in the first half against the Raiders are tied for the fifth-highest total in franchise history since 1991. The first half point total is also the most in a game since October 2, 2005 against Minnesota where the Falcons defeated the Vikings, 30-10.
TOTAL PACKAGE
Quarterback Matt Ryan
This season, the Falcons rushing attack ranked second in the NFL averaging 152.7 yards per game. Atlanta’s rushing total also led to a total offensive effort which ranked third in the NFC with a 361.2 yards per game average. Running back Michael Turner ranked second in the league in rushing with 1,699 yards while quarterback Matt Ryan contributed with 3,440 passing yards en route to a 208.5 net passing average per game.
2008 NFL Team Rushing Leaders Team Total Rushing Yards Rushing Avg. New York Giants 2,518 157.4 Atlanta Falcons 2,443 152.7 Carolina Panthers 2,437 152.3 Baltimore Ravens 2,376 148.5 Minnesota Vikings 2,332 145.8 2008 NFC Team Leaders in Total Offense Team Rushing Avg. Passing Avg. Yardage Avg. New Orleans Saints 99.6 311.1 410.7 Arizona Cardinals 73.6 292.1 365.8 Atlanta Falcons 152.7 208.5 361.2 New York Giants 157.4 198.6 355.9 Green Bay Packers 112.8 238.3 351.1
WING TIPS BALANCED ATTACK
at the buzzer
Following a Week 1 game against Detroit where Atlanta set a team record with 318 rushing yards, the Falcons used a balanced offensive attack in eight of their last 16 games, including a 222 net-yard performance against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16. Against the Vikings, Atlanta posted a difference of 26 yards between its net rushing and passing totals. Below is a breakdown of Atlanta’s offensive attack in each game this season.
Atlanta’s 22-20 win over the Chicago Bears in a Week 6 meeting at the Georgia Dome is only the third game 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 the 4th quarter. All three teams that lost in this category had taken the lead with exactly 11 seconds remaining in the game. Below is a recap of the three victories.
Net Game vs. Detroit (Week 1) at Tampa Bay (Week 2) vs. Kansas City (Week 3) at Carolina (Week 4) at Green Bay (Week 5) vs. Chicago (Week 6) at Philadelphia (Week 8) at Oakland (Week 9) vs. New Orleans (Week 10) vs. Denver (Week 11) vs. Carolina (Week 12) at San Diego (Week 13) at New Orleans (Week 14) vs. Tampa Bay (Week 15) at Minnesota (Week 16) vs. St. Louis (Week 17)
October 12, 2008 – Falcons 22, Bears 20
Rushing Net Passing Net Yards 318 156 474 105 129 234 186 192 378 118 150 268 176 194 370 75 301 376 77 258 335 252 201 453 113 248 361 114 250 364 133 259 392 141 207 348 99 315 414 175 198 373 98 124 222 263 154 417
rolling off This season, the Atlanta Falcons offense recorded 5,779 net yards en route to an 11-5 record and a 7-1 mark at home. Running back Michael Turner paced a ground game which posted 2,443 yards while quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receivers Roddy White and Michael Jenkins contributed to an air attack which tallied 3,336 net passing yards. The Falcons 2008 net yardage total set a franchise record for total offensive net yards in a season, topping the Wide receiver Michael Jenkins and the previous best of 5,661 yards in 1981. Falcons celebrate a touchdown. Below is a look at Atlanta’s top offenses in terms of net yards in a season. Year 2008 1981 1980 1983
Net Yards Gained 5,779 5,661 5,650 5,628
Along with posting an impressive offensive package, the Falcons finished fifth in points scored in a season (391) and tied for sixth in touchdowns (43). Below is a glance at Atlanta’s top seasons in terms of points. Year 1998 1981 1980 2002 2008
Points in the Season 442 426 405 402 391
The Bears, with 11 seconds remaining, take a 20-19 lead at the Georgia Dome with a 17-yard TD strike from Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton to wide receiver Rashied Davis. The ensuing kickoff is a squibb kick and returned to the Falcons 44-yard line by wide receiver Harry Douglas. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan finds wide receiver Michael Jenkins on a corner route for a 26-yard gain to set up the potential game-winning FG. Falcons kicker Jason Elam connects from 48 yards away to give the Falcons the walk-off win as time expired. Wide receiver Michael Jenkins caught this 26-yard pass with one second remaining in the game to set-up kicker Jason Elam’s game-winning field goal.
September 15, 2003 – Cowboys 35, Giants 32 (OT) The Giants, on Monday Night Football at the Meadowlands, got a 30-yard FG with 11 seconds remaining from Matt Bryant to take a 32-29 lead. Bryant then booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter then hit wide receiver Antonio Bryant for a 26-yard gain with four seconds remaining. Cowboys kicker Billy Cundiff then forced OT with a 52-yard FG for the Cowboys. Cundiff later kicked the game-winning 26-yarder in OT to 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 Lions kicked a FG with 11 seconds remaining to take a 17-16 lead at old Tulane Stadium. The Saints received the ensuing kickoff, and stepped out of bounds immediately and then completed a pass to set up a 63-yard FG attempt by Tom Dempsey. Dempsey would kick the game-winning FG (setting the NFL record for the longest FG ever made) and the Saints won 19-17.
fall rush Atlanta’s rushing offense totaled 727 yards in four games through the month of September, which led the NFL and was the third highest total for the month in franchise history. The Falcons rushing mark also tops September totals from 2004 (531 yards), 2005 (551 yards) and 2006 (675 yards) when Atlanta finished the season leading the league in rushing. Below is a look at the Falcons highest rushing totals in the month of September in team annals. Year 1986 1984 2008
Games 4 5 4
Att 183 162 129
Yards 871 750 727
WING TIPS offensive explosion Against the Detroit Lions in a Week 1 match-up, the Falcons logged 474 yards of total offense, the third highest total for a team in the opening weekend and broke a team regular season rushing record with 318 yards (7.4 avg.), topping the previous record, which was set on September 17, 2006 against Tampa Bay (306 yards). Atlanta’s 318 yards marked the first game the Falcons totaled over 200 rushing yards since December 3, 2006 against Washington (256). Highest Team Rushing Yards in a Game in Falcons History Opponent Rushing Yards Date 9/7/08 vs. Detroit 318 9/17/06 vs. Tampa Bay 306 10/1/72 vs. Los Angeles Rams 297
HUDDLE IS OPTIONAL This season Atlanta saw success utilizing the no-huddle offense in 13 contests. Falcons fans first saw Head Coach Mike Smith and the offense use the no-huddle this season against Tampa Bay in Week 2 and through Week 17, used it for a total of 18 offensive possessions while totaling 51 points. Below is a look at Atlanta’s success with the no-huddle offense by game this season.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
On Atlanta’s first offensive possession of the 2008 season, the Falcons recorded a three-play 74-yard drive that was capped by a wide receiver Michael Jenkins 62-yard touchdown reception from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan on his first career NFL pass. Jenkins’ touchdown catch was the longest of his career and the longest touchdown pass recorded by the Falcons since Wide receiver Michael Jenkins took his only December 23, 2007 when Chris reception against the Lions 62 yards for a touchdown. Redman completed a 74-yard touchdown to wide receiver Laurent Robinson against Arizona. It was also the longest touchdown pass for the Falcons on opening day since September 3, 2000, when Chris Chandler completed a 48-yard touchdown in a 36-28 win.
No-Huddle Possessions Result Game Week 2, vs. Tampa Bay 1 Punt Week 4, at Carolina 1 Field Goal Week 5, at Green Bay 1 Touchdown Week 6, vs. Chicago 1 Punt Week 8, at Philadelphia 1 Turnover Week 9, at Oakland 3 TD, TD, Punt Week 10, vs. New Orleans 1 Punt Week 11, vs. Denver 1 Turnover Week 12, vs. Carolina 1 Touchdown Week 14, at New Orleans 2 FG, TD Week 15, vs. Tampa Bay 1 Turnover Week 16 at Minnesota 2 TD, Punt Week 17 vs. St. Louis 2 FG, Punt Total 18 51 points
On Atlanta’s second possession of the game, running back Michael Turner rushed for a 66-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 14-0 lead. Including Turner’s 117 first quarter rushing yards, Atlanta went on to total 216 yards of total offense in the first quarter, which is the highest total in over two decades. The previous high for the Falcons came on October 13, 1991 with 172 yards against San Francisco.
Running back Jerious Norwood tallied his longest career kickoff return after brining back a kick 92 yards in the second quarter against the St. Louis Rams in Week 17 to set up a Falcons touchdown. The return topped his previous season-high of 85 yards, which he set against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. This season, Norwood notched 1,311 kickoff return yards on 51 attempts Running back Jerious Norwood (25.7 avg). His 25.7 yards per return average ranked 4th in the NFC. Norwood’s five kickoff returns for 192 yards against St. Louis marked the seventh-highest kickoff return yardage total in a game in club annals.
The Falcons 21 points in the first quarter 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 against Tennessee.
COVERING THE DISTANCE
RB Michael Turner
Highest Falcons Point Totals in a First Quarter Opponent Point Total Date 9/7/08 vs. Detroit 21 11/23/03 vs. Tennessee 21 12/27/98 vs. Miami 21 9/9/90 vs. Houston 21 9/23/84 vs. Houston 21
In his career (2006-08) with the Falcons, Norwood has posted a total of 2,948 kickoff return yards, which ranks third in team annals. His 25.4-yard career kickoff return average currently ranks second in the 44-year history of the franchise as well. Most Kickoff Return Yards in Falcons History Yards Years Player 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)
WING TIPS go long Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, Falcons RB Jerious Norwood registered a total of 178 all-purpose yards by rushing for 17, receiving for 88 and totaling 73 yards on two kickoff returns. In the fourth quarter, Norwood grabbed a 67-yard touchdown pass from QB Matt Ryan to give the Falcons a 27-6 lead over their Southern Division foe. The touchdown reception marked the first of Norwood’s three-year career and also set a career-long, surpassing his previous best of 46 yards vs. New Orleans on December 10, 2007. The catch was also the fourth play of 60-plus yards from scrimmage for Norwood in his career as the explosive running back has amassed five career catches of over 30 yards in 44 career games. Below is a look at his longest career receptions. Norwood’s Longest Career Receptions Opp. Long Date 11/9/08 vs. New Orleans 67t 12/10/07 vs. New Orleans 46 12/30/07 vs. Seattle 35 10/29/06 at Cincinnati 32 9/21/08 vs. Kansas City 30
A WALL UP FRONT This season, the Falcons beefed up its starting five on the offensive line as the squad was collectively 22 pounds heavier than the starting five in the first week of the 2007 regular season. Atlanta also featured Sam Baker, the Falcons second selection in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Baker, weighed in at 312 pounds and started five games at left tackle in 2008. Center Todd McClure
Weight of Atlanta’s 2008 Starting Offensive Line LT Sam Baker 312 pounds LG Justin Blalock 333 pounds C Todd McClure 301 pounds RG Harvey Dahl 308 pounds RT Tyson Clabo 332 pounds Total Weight - 1,586 pounds Weight of Atlanta’s 2007 Starting Offensive Line in Week 1 LT Wayne Gandy 315 pounds LG Justin Blalock 329 pounds C Todd McClure 295 pounds RG Kynan Forney 311 pounds RT Todd Weiner 314 pounds Total Weight - 1,564 pounds
MAX PROTECTION Running back Jerious Norwood slides past a Denver defender.
first down fin Against the Minnesota Vikings in a Week 16 meeting, wide receiver Brian Finneran logged one reception on third down for a gain of 13 yards and a new set of downs. At the conclusion of the regular season, Finneran has posted 132 of 194 career receptions that have gone for a first down or touchdown (68.0 percent). This season, the veteran receiver was a target for rookie quarterback Matt Ryan as 16 of his 24 catches came on third down plays, 13 Wide receiver Brian Finneran of which were converted for a new set of downs. Finneran’s teammate, Roddy White, led the team in the category with 29 third down receptions for a first down.
home stand With a 31-27 victory over St. Louis in Week 17, the Falcons won their seventh game at home and brought their 2008 record at the Georgia 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 the Falcons since 1998 when Atlanta finished with an undefeated Georgia Dome record (8-0) en route to a Super Bowl appearance. The ‘98 and ‘08 campaigns are the only two seasons the Falcons have started 4-0 at home in franchise history.
The Falcons allowed an average of only one sack for every 25.5 plays, which set a team record and topped the old average of one sack for every 17.1 plays (1994, ‘97). Atlanta’s offensive line also allowed only 17 sacks on 434 passing attempts, which broke the current club record of 25 sacks allowed in one campaign (1982 on 219 passing attempts).
starting debuts... The Falcons had 10 players earn opening day starts for the first time in their NFL careers. The players lining up as starters for the first time included: QB Matt Ryan, LT Sam Baker, RB Michael Turner, TE Ben Hartsock, RG Harvey Dahl, RT Tyson Clabo, DT Jonathan Babineaux, MLB Curtis Lofton, LCB Brent Grimes and RCB Chris Houston. Three of the 10 new opening day starters included Falcons offensive linemen who helped block for an Atlanta offense that recorded a team record 318 rushing yards and 474 yards of total offense in a Week 1 meeting against Detroit. “The most underappreciated but most outstanding position group of Week 1 in the NFL was the Atlanta Falcons offensive line. Left to right: Sam Baker, Justin Blalock, Todd McClure, Harvey Dahl and Tyson Clabo. The line paved the way for 318 rushing yards. The line allowed one sack and one pressure of Matt Ryan. The line cleared the way for an average of 8.3 yards per play.” - Peter King Monday Morning Quarterback, CNNSI
WING TIPS TACKLING THE TOP
CAREER DAY
Following linebacker Keith Brooking’s 11-tackle performance against the St. Louis Rams in the 2008 season finale, the 11-year veteran solidified his eighth consecutive year leading the team in tackles. Brooking finished first on the team with 133 stops and led the defensive unit with 53 assisted tackles. He also contributed with three passes defensed throughout the course of the 2008 campaign.
Falcons defensive end Jamaal Anderson registered one of his best games in a Falcons uniform in a Week 6 meeting against the Chicago Bears. Anderson logged his first career sack as an Atlanta Falcon when he dropped Bears quarterback Kyle Orton in the second quarter. The sack led to a Bears punt. Along with adding two tackles, Anderson also finished the day with two passes defensed, both of which came on Chicago’s opening possession of the third quarter to force a punt.
Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Keith Brooking’s Tackle Totals from 2001-2008 Tackles Solo Assisted Rank on Falcons 167 110 57 1st 212 100 112 1st 207 130 77 1st 144 71 73 1st 150 90 60 1st 165 109 56 1st 127 82 45 1st 133 80 53 1st
first things first The Falcons defensive unit allowed St. Louis to rush for 67 yards in the first quarter of Week 17, marking only the fourth time this season a team has rushed for over 20 rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes of play. Against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, the Falcons tied their season best which was set against Tampa Bay in Week 2. Atlanta held the Buccaneers to two rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes, which was the lowest total in the first quarter of a game for a Falcons opponent since December 14, 2003 (vs. Indianapolis, two rushing yards). Below is a look at Atlanta’s opponent rushing totals in the first quarter of each game this season. Opponent Week 1 vs. Det Week 2 at TB Week 3 vs. KC Week 4 at Car Week 5 at GB Week 6 vs. Chi Week 8 at Phi Week 9 at Oak
Linebacker Keith Brooking stops Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
BABINEAUX IN THE BACKFIELD Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux pieced together a strong season as a full-time starter and totaled 38 tackles (30 solo) and a career-high 3.5 sacks for a loss of 26.5 yards in 2008. In Week 13 against San Diego, he dropped Chargers QB Philip Rivers for 1.5 sacks in the fourth quarter, his second career multiple-sack game. At the conclusion of the 2008 regular season, Babineaux ranked fourth in DT Jonathan Babineaux the NFL in tackles for loss with 9.5 (not including sacks) according to STATS, Inc. Below is a look at the league’s top five in the category. Rank 1 2 3 4 5
Player Tackles for Loss Alex Brown, Chi 11.5 Terrell Suggs, Bal 11.0 Clint Session, Ind 10.0 Jonathan Babineaux, Atl 9.5 Two players tied 9.0
Rushing Yards 13 2 14 16 7 6 17 2
Opponent Rushing Yards Week 10 vs. NO 37 Week 11 vs. Den 8 Week 12 vs. Car 6 Week 13 at SD 8 Week 14 at NO 65 Week 15 vs. TB 9 Week 16 at MIN 33 Week 17 vs. Stl 67
Atlanta’s defensive performance in the first quarter also ranked tied for third in the NFL in opponents first quarter rushing yards allowed. 1st Quarter Att. Team Pittsburgh Steelers 100 New York Giants 92 Atlanta Falcons 82 Dallas Cowboys 100
1st Quarter Yards 255 288 310 310
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 to Flowery Branch, Ga. - S Erik Coleman is 2,559.9 miles from his hometown of Sacramento, Ca. • The shortest distance a player has to travel from their hometown to Flowery Branch, Ga. - QB D.J. Shockley is 54.6 miles away from his hometown of College Park, Ga. • The college that is represented the most on the roster - Ohio State and LSU with three players. • The state that is represented the most on the roster - Nine players represent the state of Florida.
WING TIPS ROOKIE IMPACT
behind enemy lines Atlanta did not wait to put nose tackle Grady Jackson back in a Falcons uniform after his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the end of the 2007 campaign. In 15 games played in 2008, Jackson recorded 23 tackles (21 solo). From 2005-08, Jackson ranks tied for fifth in the league in tackles for loss (30) according to STATS, Inc. while collaring 4.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in 2008. Below is a look at the NFL’s leaders in tackles for loss from 2005-08. Player Trent Cole, Phi Terrell Suggs, Bal Jared Allen, Min Lance Briggs, Chi Grady Jackson, Atl
This season, the Falcons rookie class played a role in helping the team to a successful campaign. Three rookies, including QB Matt Ryan, OT Sam Baker and LB Curtis Lofton all earned the starting job at their respective positions while another four first-year players saw action. Below is a breakdown of Atlanta’s contributions from its rookie class in 2008.
Nose tackle Grady Jackson posts his first sack of the season after dropping Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers in Week 5.
Tackles for loss 31.5 31.5 31.0 30.5 30.0
negative progress Following the 2008 regular season finale, the Falcons defense forced 47 negative rushes this season, which accounted for a loss of 100 yards (does not include quarterback kneeldowns). Atlanta also forced a total of 88 negative plays totaling a loss of 356 yards.
three and out This season, the Falcons defense ranked ninth in the NFC and tied for 13th in the NFL in opponent three-and-out drives. Against Tampa Bay in Week 15, the Falcons held the Bucs to three threeand-outs in the contest. In 178 defensive series, the Falcons forced 42 three-and-outs for a 23.6 percentage. Below is a look at the top NFC teams in three-and-out percentage. Defensive Series Team Philadelphia 198 Washington 176 Tampa Bay 192 Chicago 207 Green Bay 192 Dallas 185 Minnesota 191 New York Giants 174 Atlanta 178
3 & Out Drives 58 56 51 49 45 44 43 43 42
Percentage 29.3 31.8 26.6 23.7 23.4 23.8 22.5 24.7 23.6
time on your side The Falcons defense significantly helped the offense utilize its time on the field, especially in the first half of play this season. Atlanta held its opponents to an average of six minutes and one-second in time of possession in the first quarter, which ranked first in the league. Along with a seven-minute and 14-second average in the second quarter, the Falcons ranked second in the league in opponents first half time of possession with a 13-minute and 16-second mark.
Quarterback Matt Ryan - Started all 16 games under center and completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for an 87.7 passer rating. Ryan completed a 62yard touchdown strike on his first career NFL pass in Week 1 against Detroit. Offensive Tackle Sam Baker - The USC graduate pieced together an impressive preseason and started five games at left tackle. Linebacker Curtis Lofton - This season, led all Falcons rookies and ranked fourth on the team with 108 tackles (67 solo). Wide Receiver Harry Douglas - Douglas posted his first two career touchdowns in Week 12 against Carolina. His first came on a seven-yard end around in the first quarter. Douglas stuck again with a 61-yard punt return in the fourth quarter. In 2008, he totaled 320 receiving yards, 69 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Cornerback Chevis Jackson - Posted 33 tackles and five passes defensed this season. Returned his first career INT 95 yards for a touchdown against New Orleans in Week 10. Defensive End Kroy Biermann - Posted his first career sack in a Week 13 match-up against San Diego and added his second in the season finale against St. Louis. Also contributed with 14 tackles in 2008. Safety Thomas DeCoud - Saw action on special teams and finished the season with five special teams tackles. 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 has started, 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 Falcons in tackles.
WING TIPS they’ve got your back
TO THE RESCUE
Following the 2007 season the Falcons made adjustments to their linebacker positions. Although Michael Boley remained at the outside linebacker spot, Keith Brooking moved from the middle linebacker position to outside linebacker and 2008 NFL Draft second round selection, Curtis Lofton, earned the starting role at middle linebacker. This season, the three all ranked in the Falcons top five in tackles and combined for 331 stops.
Following safety Erik Coleman’s performance against Kansas City in Week 3, the Falcons realized exactly why they signed the free agent acquisition during the free agency period this past offseason. Coleman finished third on the team in tackles with nine against the Chiefs, while contributing with one interception, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one tackle for loss. On several occasions, the five-year veteran made significant tackles 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, Coleman ranked second on the team with a career-high 127 stops (82 solo).
OLB Keith Brooking - Ranked first on the Falcons with 133 tackles and led the team stops for the eighth consecutive season. Along with starting in every contest, Brooking also lead Atlanta in assisted tackles with 53. MLB Curtis Lofton - Led all Falcons rookies with 108 tackles (67 solo) and ranked second in the league in stops among first year players. In Week 6 versus Chicago, he led the team with 11 tackles. Two Sunday’s later against Philadelphia, Lofton tallied his first career sack while forcing a fumble on the play. OLB Michael Boley - Ranked fifth on the Falcons with 90 tackles and contributed with nine passes defensed and one interception. Set a season-high with nine tackles in a Week 6 meeting against Chicago and tied the mark against the Saints in Week 10.
record takedown This season, the Falcons offensive line did not allow a sack of quarterback Matt Ryan on seven occasions. Atlanta out-sacked its opponents in 2008 by a 34.0-17.0 margin and held an 11-1 record when posting more sacks then its opponent in a game. Atlanta’s 2008 Victories When Out-Sacking its Opponent Sack Difference Opponent Week 1 vs. Detroit Atl 3.0 - Det 1.0 Week 3 vs. Kansas City Atl 2.0 - KC 0.0 Week 5 at Green Bay Atl 2.0 - GB 0.0 Week 6 vs. Chicago Atl 1.0 - Chi 0.0 Week 9 at Oakland Atl 4.0 - Oak 3.0 Week 10 vs. New Orleans Atl 1.0 - NO 0.0 Week 12 vs. Carolina Atl 3.0 - Car 1.0 Week 13 at San Diego Atl 3.0 - SD 0.0 Week 15 vs. Tampa Bay Atl 4.0 - TB 1.0 Week 16 at Minnesota Atl 3.0 - Min 2.0 Week 17 vs. St. Louis Atl 3.0 - Stl 1.0
LAW DOG For the third consecutive year, the Falcons featured Lawyer Milloy in the starting safety position. Milloy, who just finished his 13th regular season, ranked third on the Falcons in tackles with 117 and ranked fourth in the NFC in tackles among safeties (92), three stops behind his teammate Erik Coleman, according to STATS, Inc. He also intercepted his 25th career pass in the season opener against Detroit. Milloy has accumulated 1,586 tackles, 17.0 sacks and 85 passes defensed and has earned Pro Bowl honors on four occasions (1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002).
pick three In a Week 3 meeting against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Falcons secondary witnessed three players record interceptions off of Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen. The first came from S Erik Coleman who tallied his first INT in a Falcons uniform and the eighth of his career. CB Brent Grimes followed with his first career interception in the second quarter, which was returned 25 yards leading to a Falcons touchdown. Finally, CB Chris Houston picked Safety Erik Coleman off his first pass in the fourth quarter and returned the ball 10 yards for his first career touchdown to seal a Falcons 38-14 victory. Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, the Falcons intercepted quarterback Drew Brees on three occasions (tied for his highest total in a game this season). Atlanta safety Erik Coleman stepped in front of a Brees pass on the Saints first offensive play of the game, which marked his second pick of the season. Cornerback Chris Houston followed in the fourth quarter when he stalled a potential New Orleans scoring drive with an interception in the end zone. Finally, rookie cornerback Chevis Jackson intercepted his first career pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown to seal a Falcons victory.
jacked up Rookie cornerback Chevis Jackson recorded his first career interception in a Week 10 meeting against the New Orleans Saints. Jackson stepped in front of a pass from QB Drew Brees intended for WR Devery Henderson and returned it for a 95-yard touchdown. His return became the second-longest in Falcons history behind a 101-yard INT return by Tom Pridemore against the San Francisco 49ers on September 20, 1981. Jackson also became the third Falcons defensive back to record his first career interception Cornerback Chevis Jackson this season, along with cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Chris Houston (Week 3 vs. Kansas City).
WING TIPS FIRST YEAR AT THE HELM
INSIDE THE GEORGIA DOME
Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith was one of four new head coaches to start the NFL season. The others include: John Harbaugh (Ravens), Tony Sparano (Dolphins) and Jim Zorn (Redskins). In 2007, three of four new head coaches to the league led their teams to a higher win total than the previous 2006 season. Ken Whisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals posted the highest margin with a plus-3 mark followed by Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders (plus-2) and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers (plus-2). Below is a look at 2008 first year head coaches and their team’s record from the previous season.
Fans who entered the Georgia Dome in 2008 enjoyed the result of a two-year, $50 million investment by the Falcons and Georgia World Congress Center. Following renovations to suites and the club seat area, and the addition of super suites and LED ribbon boards in 2007, the Falcons, along with the GWCC Authority, completed enhancements this year to the interior and exterior of the Dome. The Dome feels more like the “home of the Falcons,” with red and black paint on the exterior, and red and black seats throughout the interior. In addition, refurbished concourse areas boast enhanced lighting and signage and improved concessions and restrooms.
Coach Mike Smith John Harbaugh Tony Sparano Jim Zorn
Team 2008 Record 2007 Record Atlanta Falcons 11-5 4-12 Baltimore Ravens 11-5 5-11 Miami Dolphins 11-5 1-15 Washington Redskins 8-8 9-7
With Atlanta’s Week 17 win over the Rams, the combination of Mike Smith and Matt Ryan coupled with Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and QB Joe Flacco tied for the most wins by a rookie head coach and quarterback since 1966.
BUILT FOR SUCCESS The 2008 Atlanta Falcons competed with a revamped coaching staff, complete with 17 coaches who hold 188 years of combined NFL experience. The Falcons also brought aboard Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey who, along with Assistant Head Coach/Secondary Emmitt Thomas and Wide Receivers Coach Terry Robiskie, have served as previous head Assistant Head Coach Emmitt Thomas has coaches. Mularkey served as the Head Coach logged 28 seasons in the of the Buffalo Bills from 2004-05, Thomas NFL. served as the Interim Head Coach of the Falcons for three games last season and Robiskie totaled three games as Interim Head Coach of the Washington Redskins (2000) and five games with the Cleveland Browns (2004). Below is a breakdown of the Falcons 2008 coaching staff and their NFL experience (including this season). Assistant Head Coach Emmitt Thomas - 28 years Wide Receivers Coach Terry Robiskie - 27 years Offensive Line Coach Paul Boudreau - 22 years Defensive Line Coach Ray Hamilton - 22 years Defensive Backs Coach Alvin Reynolds - 16 years Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey - 15 years Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong - 15 years Linebackers Coach Glenn Pires - 13 years Head Coach Mike Smith - 10 years Quarterbacks Coach Bill Musgrave - 10 years Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder - 3 years Assistant Special Teams Coach - Tom McMahon - 2 years Running Backs Coach Gerald Brown - first year Defensive Assistant Joe Danna - first year Assistant Offensive Line Coach Paul Dunn - first year Tight Ends Coach Chris Scelfo - first year Offensive Assistant Glenn Thomas - first year Total Years of NFL experience - 188
“We think it’s important to maintain the Georgia Dome to NFL standards 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 Dome Capacity: 71,228 Club Seats: 5,737 Suites: 203 (16 or 24 seats) Cost: $210 million Financed: Hotel/motel tax, no taxpayer money Groundbreaking: 11-22-89 Owned by: The State of Georgia Managed: World Congress Center Construction: 859 days to build, covers 8.6 acres, 275 feet tall (27 stories) • The Georgia Dome is the second largest cable-supported Dome in 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
2008 falcons opponents This season the Falcons faced the NFC North and AFC West in cross-division play while battling NFC South opponents, Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Carolina twice a year. Atlanta also matchedup with the St. Louis Rams in a home game at the Georgia Dome and traveled to Philadelphia to meet the Eagles for the first time since the 2006 season finale. Collectively, the Falcons hold a 74-64 record against their NFC South foes while totaling 94 all-time victories against their opponents on the 2008 schedule. The NFC South also tallied a 26-5 combined home record in 2008. HOME Last Time Played Prior to ‘08 Carolina Nov. 11, 2007 New Orleans Dec. 10, 2007 Tampa Bay Dec. 16, 2007 Detroit Nov. 5, 2006 Chicago Dec. 18, 2005 Kansas City Dec. 24, 2004 Denver Oct. 31, 2004 St. Louis Dec. 2, 2007
Result 2008 Result W, 20-13 W, 45-28 L, 34-14 W, 34-20 L, 37-3 W, 13-10 OT L, 30-14 W, 34-21 L, 16-3 W, 22-20 L, 56-10 W, 38-14 W, 41-28 L, 24-20 L, 28-16 W, 31-27
Last Time Played Prior to ‘08 AWAY Carolina Nov. 11, 2007 New Orleans Dec. 10, 2007 Tampa Bay Dec. 16, 2007 Green Bay Nov. 13, 2005 Minnesota Sept. 9, 2007 Oakland Dec. 12, 2004 San Diego Oct. 17, 2004 Philadelphia Dec. 31, 2006
Result 2008 Result W, 20-13 L, 24-9 L, 34-14 L, 29-25 L, 37-3 L, 24-9 L, 33-25 W, 27-24 L, 24-3 W, 24-17 W, 35-10 W, 24-0 W, 21-20 W, 22-16 L, 24-17 L, 27-14
WING TIPS 2008 NFL RANKINGS
PINNED DEEP
Punter Michael Koenen
This season, Falcons punter Michael Koenen punted on 63 occasions for 2,566 yards and a 40.7 average. His total included four touchbacks and a long kick of 60 yards. Koenen also pinned 25 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, which ranked fourth in the conference. Koenen was vital in helping the Falcons rank second in the NFL in opponents average starting field position following kickoffs with a 24.6-yard line average.
dirty harry In a Week 6 meeting against the Chicago Bears, wide receiver Harry Douglas was insterted as the main punt returner for the Falcons through the duration of the season. In the 12 weeks that he returned punts, Douglas ranked fifth in the NFC in punt return yards with 226. He averaged 11.9 yards per return and also returned one kick 61 yards for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12. Wide receiver Harry Douglas
splitting the uprights Atlanta kicker Jason Elam converted 29 of 31 field goal attempts in his first season in a Falcons uniform. He finished the season with 129 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 season in team history behind Norm Johnson who hit 26 of 27 field goal attempts (96.3) in 1993.
LAND OF NO RETURN Against the St. Louis Rams in the season finale, the Falcons allowed zero punt return yards. The total gave Atlanta 49 punt return yards on the season, which set a new NFL record, topping the old mark of 53 yards allowed (Buffalo Bills in 1991).
Offensive Rankings - 2008 Total Week 1 (after Det.) 474.0 Week 2 (after T.B.) 354.0 Week 3 (after K.C.) 362.0 Week 4 (after Car.) 338.5 Week 5 (after G.B.) 344.8 Week 6 (after Chi.) 350.0 Week 7 (BYE) Week 8 (after Phi.) 347.9 Week 9 (after Oak.) 361.0 Week 10 (after N.O.) 361.0 Week 11 (after Den.) 361.3 Week 12 (after Car.) 364.1 Week 13 (after S.D.) 362.8 Week 14 (after N.O.) 366.7 Week 15 (after T.B.) 367.1 Week 16 (after Min.) 357.5 Week 17 (after Stl.) 361.2
Week by Week Rush Pass 318.0 156.0 211.5 142.5 203.0 159.0 181.8 156.8 180.6 164.2 163.0 187.0
Defensive Rankings - 2008 Total Week 1 (after Det.) 308.0 Week 2 (after T.B.) 309.5 Week 3 (after K.C.) 306.7 Week 4 (after Car.) 332.3 Week 5 (after G.B.) 347.4 Week 6 (after Chi.) 349.7 Week 7 (BYE) Week 8 (after Phi.) 361.4 Week 9 (after Oak.) 325.9 Week 10 (after N.O.) 347.6 Week 11 (after Den.) 346.0 Week 12 (after Car.) 351.6 Week 13 (after S.D.) 339.1 Week 14 (after N.O.) 344.8 Week 15 (after T.B.) 343.4 Week 16 (after Min.) 343.9 Week 17 (after Stl.) 347.9
Week by Week Rush Pass NFC NFL 62.0 246.0 7-3-14 15-5-27T 113.0 196.5 8-11-7 17-20-18 136.7 170.0 9-13-3 15-23-10 131.3 201.0 11-13-4 20-23-13 125.8 221.6 11-11-10 23-21-22 118.0 231.7 12-11-13 25-20-24
150.7 163.4 157.8 153.4 151.5 150.7 146.7 148.7 145.3 152.7
128.6 120.9 119.1 119.6 120.9 116.7 121.8 120.2 122.5 127.5
197.1 197.6 203.2 207.9 212.5 212.1 220.0 218.4 212.1 208.5
232.9 205.0 228.4 226.4 230.7 222.4 223.0 223.2 221.3 220.4
NFC 3-1-13 6-1-14 7-1-14 8-1-16 7-2-14 6-2-13
NFL 3-1-24T 9-3-26 9-1-23 10-1-26 8-2-25 8-2-21
7-3-13 5-1-14 4-2-11 5-2-7 4-2-7 4-2-7 3-2-7 3-1t-7 3-4-7 3-2-8
10-3-21 7-1-22 6-2-19 7-2-14 6-2-14 6-2-14 5-2-13 5-1t-13 6-5-14 6-2-14
13-13-11 25-23-24 9-13-8 16-22-16 12-12-10 23-21-22 12-13-10 23-22-22 13-12-12 24-21-23 12-12-12 22-21-23 12-13-11 22-22-23 12-13-11 23-22-23 13-12-11 24-21-22 13-13-11 24-25-21
ATLANTA’S 2008 REGULAR SEASON OPPONENTS Opponent Detroit at Tampa Bay Kansas City at Carolina at Green Bay Chicago at Philadelphia at Oakland New Orleans Denver at San Diego at Minnesota St. Louis
Date/Result W, 34-21 L, 24-9, W, 13-10 OT W, 38-14 L, 24-9, W, 45-28 W, 27-24 W, 22-20 L, 27-14 W, 24-0 W, 34-20, L, 29-25 L, 24-20 W, 22-16 W, 24-17 W, 31-27
Regular Season Finale Result Lost to the Green Bay Packers, 31-21 Lost to the Oakland Raiders, 31-24 Lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 16-6 Defeated the New Orleans Saints, 33-31 Defeated the Detroit Lions, 31-21 Lost to the Houston Texans, 31-24 Defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 44-6 Defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-24 Lost to the Carolina Panthers, 33-31 Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 52-21 Defeated the Denver Broncos, 52-21 Defeated the New York Giants, 20-19 Lost to the Atlanta Falcons, 31-27
Final Record 0-16 9-7 2-14 12-4 6-10 9-7 9-6-1 5-11 8-8 8-8 8-8 10-6 2-14
WING TIPS FIRST ROUND FINDS
GEORGIA ON MY MIND
The Falcons were one of five teams with two selections in the first round of the NFL Draft. With the third overall selection, Atlanta drafted quarterback Matt Ryan. The Falcons then made a deal with the Washington Redskins to trade back into the first round and grab offensive tackle Sam Baker with the 21st overall pick. Both players earned opening day starts coming out of training camp. Below is a look at the five teams with multiple first round picks and the players selected this year.
Currently, the Falcons yield four players from the state of Georgia on their active roster. Two Falcons including quarterback D.J. Shockley and linebacker Tony Gilbert hail from the University of Georgia. Linebacker Keith Brooking, a native of Senoia, Ga., is an alum of Georgia Tech.
TEAM Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Dallas Cowboys Kansas City Chiefs New York Jets
PLAYERS QB Matt Ryan and T Sam Baker RB Jonathan Stewart and T Jeff Otah RB Felix Jones and CB Mike Jenkins DT Glenn Dorsey and T Branden Albert LB Vernon Gholston and TE Dustin Keller
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.
DRAFT BREAKDOWN For the second consecutive year, the Falcons drafted 11 players, a particularly large draft class. Following the first round selections of Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan and USC offensive tackle Sam Baker, the Falcons solidified the linebacker position, addressed the secondary, found a gem at wide receiver and selected two players from the National Champion LSU Tigers. Below is Atlanta’s draft class breakdown and a look at players from the 2008 Falcons draft class who earned a spot on the roster. Two draft picks, LB Robert James and RB Thomas Brown are currently on the injured reserve list. Round Name 1 Matt Ryan 1 Sam Baker *from Washington 2 Curtis Lofton 3 Chevis Jackson 3 Harry Douglas *from Washington 3 Thomas DeCoud 5 Kroy Biermann *from Washington 7 Keith Zinger *from Pittsburgh
Pos. QB OT
College Roster Status Boston College Active Roster USC Active Roster
LB CB WR
Oklahoma LSU Louisville
Active Roster Active Roster Active Roster
S DE
California Montana
Active Roster Active Roster
TE
LSU
Practice Squad
SCORING IN BUNCHES In the first three games of the 2008 season, Atlanta totaled 81 points (34 against Detroit, nine against Tampa Bay and 38 against Kansas City). The 81 points marked the higest total in the first three games of a season for the Falcons since 1986 when Atlanta collected 101 points. The Falcons started with a 5-1-1 record in their first seven games to open the ‘86 campaign. On only two other occasions has Atlanta posted more than 81 points in the first three contests of a season. In 1981, the Falcons totaled 92 points and in 1972, the team registered 88 points.
3 2 1 4
immortalized in the hall Falcons Assistant Head Coach/Secondary Coach Emmitt Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 2, 2008. It was a welldeserved and long-overdue accomplishment for the Kansas City Chiefs cornerback who played 13 stellar seasons in the League. Thomas competed in 181 career games, including Super Bowls I and IV and five Pro Bowls. He finished with 58 interceptions, which is still tied for the eighth-most ever in NFL history, as he led the League twice in INTs in a single season. Thomas is a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame and his name is etched on the walls at Arrowhead Stadium. prep honors Local Falcons athletes LB Keith Brooking and WR Harry Douglas were honored by their high schools. Douglas, a graduate of Jonesboro High, had his No. 25 jersey retired while Brooking received the same honor when his No. 35 jersey was retired by East Coweta High School.
POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN quarterbacks (3) No Name 2 Matt Ryan - Started 16 games under center and completed 265 of 434 passes for 3,440 yards, 16 touchdowns 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.
RUNNING BACKS (4) 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 in Week 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 season (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.
WIDE RECEIVERS (5) 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.
POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN WIDE RECEIVERS CONT... No 86
Name 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.
TIGHT ENDS (3) 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.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10) 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.
Defensive Line (9) 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.
POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN DEFENSIVE LINE 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.
linebackers (6) 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.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (10) No Name 20 Brent Grimes - Intercepted his first-career pass against Kansas City in Week 3 and contributed with 36 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 Buccaneers in 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.
POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN DEFENSIVE BACKS cont... 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.
SPECIALISTS (3) 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 yards in 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.
2008 Atlanta Falcons Alphabetical Roster # 55 98 95 72 71 63 59 42 56 77 26 73 92 28 83 1 86 24 75 29 68 51 20 23 22 90 99 12 9 50 62 36 94 34 54 32 76 87 81 85 8 2 46 37 3 44 69 33 14 74 84 67 52
PLAYER Abraham, John Anderson, Jamaal Babineaux, Jonathan Baker, Sam Biermann, Kroy Blalock, Justin Boley, Michael Brock, Eric Brooking, Keith Clabo, Tyson Coleman, Erik Dahl, Harvey Davis, Chauncey DeCoud, Thomas Douglas, Harry Elam, Jason Finneran, Brian Foxworth, Domonique Fraser, Simon Fudge, Jamaal Gandy, Wayne Gilbert, Tony Grimes, Brent Houston, Chris Jackson, Chevis Jackson, Grady Jefferson, Jason Jenkins, Michael Koenen, Michael Lofton, Curtis McClure, Todd Milloy, Lawyer Moorehead, Kindal Mughelli, Ovie Nicholas, Stephen Norwood, Jerious Ojinnaka, Quinn Peelle, Justin Pollard, Marcus Rader, Jason Redman, Chris Ryan, Matt Schneck, Mike Sharpe, Glenn Shockley, D.J. Snelling, Jason Stepanovich, Alex Turner, Michael Weems, Eric Weiner, Todd White, Roddy Wilkerson, Ben Wire, Coy
POS DE DE DT OT DE OG LB S LB OT S OG DE S WR K WR CB DE S OT LB CB CB CB DT DT WR P LB C S DT FB LB RB OT TE TE TE QB QB LS CB QB RB C RB WR OT WR C LB
H 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-6 5-10 6-5 6-2 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-5 5-11 6-6 5-9 6-5 6-0 5-10 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-4 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-3 5-11 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-4 5-10 5-9 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-0
W 263 282 284 312 241 333 223 202 241 332 206 308 274 197 171 194 206 180 274 194 308 248 185 175 185 345 295 215 199 248 301 216 299 245 232 202 305 250 255 271 221 220 234 185 222 229 296 244 191 300 208 310 228
Birthdate 5/6/78 2/6/86 10/12/81 5/30/85 9/12/85 12/20/83 8/24/82 4/24/85 10/30/75 10/17/81 5/16/82 6/24/81 1/27/83 3/19/85 9/16/84 3/8/70 1/31/76 3/27/83 3/27/83 5/17/83 2/10/71 10/16/79 7/19/83 10/18/84 12/11/85 1/21/73 12/20/81 6/18/82 7/13/82 6/2/86 2/16/77 11/14/73 10/14/78 6/10/80 5/1/83 7/29/83 4/23/84 3/15/79 2/8/72 4/12/81 7/7/77 5/17/85 8/4/77 2/27/84 3/23/83 12/29/83 9/25/81 2/13/82 7/4/85 9/16/75 11/2/81 11/22/82 11/7/78
38 66 70 96 11 91 35 18 82
Barclay, Chris Bennett, Nate Butterworth, Michael Evans, Willie Kinoshita, Noriaki** Myles, Tywain Vinnett, Darius Williams, Chandler Zinger, Keith
RB OG OL DE WR DT CB WR TE
5-10 6-4 6-7 6-1 5-10 6-2 5-8 5-11 6-4
180 315 298 267 179 305 170 178 268
10/15/83 1/19/84 1/7/85 3/5/84 12/29/82 10/1/84 9/30/84 8/9/85 10/9/84
27 41 89 25 30 51 64 19
Brown, Thomas Harris, Antonie Hartsock, Ben Hutchins, Von Irons, David James, Robert McCoy, Pat Robinson, Laurent
RB S TE CB CB LB OL WR
5-8 5-10 6-4 5-10 5-11 5-11 6-5 6-2
200 197 264 185 197 218 328 194
5/15/86 4/8/82 7/5/80 2/14/81 10/9/82 12/26/83 12/14/80 5/20/85
OL DT
6-7 6-3
340 323
79 Foster, Renardo 97 Lewis, Trey
EXP 9 2 4 R R 2 4 R 11 3 5 2 4 R R 16 9 4 4 3 14 5 1 2 R 12 4 5 4 R 10 13 6 6 2 3 3 7 14 3 6 R 10 R 2 2 5 5 1 11 4 3 7
COLLEGE South Carolina Arkansas Iowa USC Montana Texas Southern Miss Auburn Georgia Tech Wake Forest Washington State Nevada-Reno Florida State Cal-Berkeley Louisville Hawaii Villanova Maryland Ohio State Clemson Auburn Georgia Shippensburg Arkansas LSU Knoxville Wisconsin Ohio State Western Washington Oklahoma LSU Washington Alabama Wake Forest South Florida Mississippi State Syracuse Oregon Bradley Marshall Louisville Boston College Wisconsin Miami (Fla.) Georgia Virginia Ohio State Northern Illinois Bethune-Cookman Kansas State Alabama-Birmingham LSU Stanford
ACQUIRED Tr '06 (NYJ) D1 '07 D2 '05 D1b '08 D5b '08 D2a '07 D5a '05 FA '08 D1 '98 FA '06 FA '08 FA '07 D4 '05 D3c '08 D3b '08 UFA '08 (Den) FA '00 Tr '08 (Den) FA '08 W '08 (Jax) FA '08 FA '08 FA '07 D2b '07 D3a '08 FA '08 W '08 (Buf) D1b '04 FA '05 D2 '08 D7a '99 FA '06 UFA '08 (Car) UFA '07 (Balt) D4a '07 D3 '06 D5 '06 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '07 D1a '08 FA '07 FA '08 D7 '06 D7 '07 UFA '08 (Cin) UFA '08 (SD) FA '07 UFA '02 (Sea) D1 '05 FA '07 FA' 08
HOMETOWN Timmonsville, SC Little Rock, AR Port Arthur, TX Tustin, CA Hardin, MT Dallas, TX Gadsden, AL Alexander City, AL Senoia, GA Knoxville, TN Sacramento, CA Fallon, NV Bartow, FL Vallejo, CA Jonesboro, GA Ft. Walton Beach, FL Mission Viejo, CA Cantonsville, MD Upper Arlington, OH Jacksonville, FL Haines City, FL Macon, GA Philadelphia, PA Austin, TX Mobile, AL Greensboro, AL Chicago, IL Tampa, FL Ferndale, WA Kingfisher, OK Baton Rouge, LA St. Louis, MO Memphis, TN Boston, MA Jacksonville, FL Jackson, MS Seabrook, MD Fresno, CA Valley, AL St. Albans, WV Louisville, KY Exton, PA Whitefish Bay, WI Miami, FL College Park, GA Chester, VA Berea, OH Waukegan, IL Ormond Beach, FL Coral Springs, FL James Island, SC Port Arthur, TX Camp Hill, PA
PRACTICE SQUAD 2 Wake Forest R Clemson R Slippery Rock 1 Mississippi State 1 Ritsumeikan (Japan) R Tarleton State 2 Arkansas 1 Florida International R LSU
FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 D7b '08
Louisville, KY Dallas, GA Northern Cambria, PA Waynesboro, MS Osaka, Japan Nacogdoches, TX New Orleans, LA Miami, FL Leesville, LA
INJURED RESERVE R Georgia 2 Louisville 5 Ohio State 5 Mississippi 2 Auburn R Arizona State 2 West Texas A&M 2 Illinois State
D6 '08 FA '07 FA '08 FA '08 D6b '07 D5a '08 FA '07 D3 '07
Tucker, GA Columbus, OH Chillicothe, OH Natchez, MS Dacula, GA Glendale, AZ Fairfield, CA Fort Lewis, WA
FA '07 D6a '07
Ripley, TN Topeka, KS
RESERVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM 7/15/84 2 Louisville 5/23/85 2 Washburn
** International practice squad player COACHING STAFF Mike 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), 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), Chris Scelfo (Tight Ends), Glenn Thomas (Offensive Assistant).
updated 1/6/2009
2008 Atlanta Falcons Numerical Roster # 1 2 3 8 9 12 14 20 22 23 24 26 28 29 32 33 34 36 37 42 44 46 50 51 52 54 55 56 59 62 63 67 68 69 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 81 83 84 85 86 87 90 92 94 95 98 99
PLAYER Jason Elam Matt Ryan D.J. Shockley Chris Redman Michael Koenen Michael Jenkins Eric Weems Brent Grimes Chevis Jackson Chris Houston Domonique Foxworth Erik Coleman Thomas DeCoud Jamaal Fudge Jerious Norwood Michael Turner Ovie Mughelli Lawyer Milloy Glenn Sharpe Eric Brock Jason Snelling Mike Schneck Curtis Lofton Tony Gilbert Coy Wire Stephen Nicholas John Abraham Keith Brooking Michael Boley Todd McClure Justin Blalock Ben Wilkerson Wayne Gandy Alex Stepanovich Kroy Biermann Sam Baker Harvey Dahl Todd Weiner Simon Fraser Quinn Ojinnaka Tyson Clabo Marcus Pollard Harry Douglas Roddy White Jason Rader Brian Finneran Justin Peelle Grady Jackson Chauncey Davis Kindal Moorehead Jonathan Babineaux Jamaal Anderson Jason Jefferson
POS K QB QB QB P WR WR CB CB CB CB S S S RB RB FB S CB S RB LS LB LB LB LB DE LB LB C OG C OT C DE OT OG OT DE OT OT TE WR WR TE WR TE DT DE DT DT DE DT
H 5-11 6-4 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-4 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-9 5-11 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-3 5-11 6-0 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-6 6-1
W 194 220 220 221 199 215 191 200 185 175 180 206 197 194 202 244 245 216 185 202 229 234 248 248 228 232 263 241 223 301 333 310 308 296 241 312 308 300 274 305 332 255 171 208 271 206 250 345 274 299 284 282 295
AGE 38 23 25 31 26 26 23 25 23 24 25 26 23 25 25 26 28 35 24 23 25 31 22 29 30 25 30 33 26 31 25 26 37 27 23 23 27 33 25 24 27 36 24 27 27 33 29 36 26 30 27 22 27
11 18 35 38 66 70 82 91 96
Noriaki Kinoshita** Chandler Williams Darius Vinnett Chris Barclay Nate Bennett Michael Butterworth Keith Zinger Tywain Myles Willie Evans
WR WR CB RB OG OL TE DT DE
5-10 5-11 5-8 5-10 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-2 6-1
179 178 170 180 315 298 268 305 267
26 23 24 25 25 24 24 24 24
19 25 27 30 41 51 64 89
Laurent Robinson Von Hutchins Thomas Brown David Irons Antoine Harris Robert James Pat McCoy Ben Hartsock
WR CB RB CB S LB OL TE
6-2 5-10 5-8 5-11 5-10 5-11 6-5 6-4
194 185 200 197 197 218 328 264
23 27 22 26 26 25 28 28
OL DT
6-7 6-3
340 323
79 Renardo Foster 97 Trey Lewis *
EXP 16 R 2 6 4 5 1 1 R 2 4 5 R 3 3 5 6 13 R R 2 10 R 5 7 2 9 11 4 10 2 3 14 5 R R 2 11 4 3 3 14 R 4 3 9 7 12 4 6 4 2 4
COLLEGE Hawaii Boston College Georgia Louisville Western Washington Ohio State Bethune-Cookman Shippensburg LSU Arkansas Maryland Washington State Cal-Berkeley Clemson Mississippi State Northern Illinois Wake Forest Washington Miami (Fla.) Auburn Virginia Wisconsin Oklahoma Georgia Stanford South Florida South Carolina Georgia Tech Southern Miss LSU Texas LSU Auburn Ohio State Montana USC Nevada-Reno Kansas State Ohio State Syracuse Wake Forest Bradley Louisville Alabama-Birmingham Marshall Villanova Oregon Knoxville Florida State Alabama Iowa Arkansas Wisconsin
ACQUIRED UFA '08 (Den) D1a '08 D7 '06 FA '07 FA '05 D1b '04 FA '07 FA '07 D3a '08 D2b '07 Tr '08 (Den) FA '08 D3c '08 W '08 (Jax) D3 '06 UFA '08 (SD) UFA '07 (Balt) FA '06 FA '08 FA '08 D7 '07 FA '07 D2 '08 FA '08 FA' 08 D4a '07 Tr '06 (NYJ) D1 '98 D5a '05 D7a '99 D2a '07 FA '07 FA '08 UFA '08 (Cin) D5b '08 D1b '08 FA '07 UFA '02 (Sea) FA '08 D5 '06 FA '06 FA '08 D3b '08 D1 '05 FA '08 FA '00 FA '08 FA '08 D4 '05 UFA '08 (Car) D2 '05 D1 '07 W '08 (Buf)
HOMETOWN Ft. Walton Beach, FL Exton, PA College Park, GA Louisville, KY Ferndale, WA Tampa, FL Ormond Beach, FL Philadelphia, PA Mobile, AL Austin, TX Cantonsville, MD Sacramento, CA Vallejo, CA Jacksonville, FL Jackson, MS Waukegan, IL Boston, MA St. Louis, MO Miami, FL Alexander City, AL Chester, VA Whitefish Bay, WI Kingfisher, OK Macon, GA Camp Hill, PA Jacksonville, FL Timmonsville, SC Senoia, GA Gadsden, AL Baton Rouge, LA Dallas, TX Port Arthur, TX Haines City, FL Berea, OH Hardin, MT Tustin, CA Fallon, NV Coral Springs, FL Upper Arlington, OH Seabrook, MD Knoxville, TN Valley, AL Jonesboro, GA James Island, SC St. Albans, WV Mission Viejo, CA Fresno, CA Greensboro, AL Bartow, FL Memphis, TN Port Arthur, TX Little Rock, AR Chicago, IL
PRACTICE SQUAD 1 Ritsumeikan (Japan) 1 Florida International 2 Arkansas 2 Wake Forest R Clemson R Slippery Rock R LSU R Tarleton State 1 Mississippi State
FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 D7b '08 FA '08 FA '08
Osaka, Japan Miami, FL New Orleans, LA Louisville, KY Dallas, GA Northern Cambria, PA Leesville, LA Nacogdoches, TX Waynesboro, MS
INJURED RESERVE 2 Illinois State 5 Mississippi R Georgia 2 Auburn 2 Louisville R Arizona State 2 West Texas A&M 5 Ohio State
D3 '07 FA '08 D6 '08 D6b '07 FA '07 D5a '08 FA '07 FA '08
Fort Lewis, WA Natchez, MS Tucker, GA Dacula, GA Columbus, OH Glendale, AZ Fairfield, CA Chillicothe, OH
FA '07 D6a '07
Ripley, TN Topeka, KS
RESERVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM 24 2 Louisville 23 2 Washburn
Birthdays through the month of January
** International practice squad player COACHING STAFF Mike 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), 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), Chris Scelfo (Tight Ends), Glenn Thomas (Offensive Assistant).
updated 1/6/2009
2008 Atlanta Falcons Roster By Experience # 1 68 81 36 90 56 74 62 46 55 86 87 52 94 34 8 26 51 12 69 33 95 59 92 24 75 99 9 84 77 29 32 76 85 67 98 63 73 23 54 3 44 20 14 72 71 42 28 83 22 50 2 37
PLAYER Elam, Jason Gandy, Wayne Pollard, Marcus Milloy, Lawyer Jackson, Grady Brooking, Keith Weiner, Todd McClure, Todd Schneck, Mike Abraham, John Finneran, Brian Peelle, Justin Wire, Coy Moorehead, Kindal Mughelli, Ovie Redman, Chris Coleman, Erik Gilbert, Tony Jenkins, Michael Stepanovich, Alex Turner, Michael Babineaux, Jonathan Boley, Michael Davis, Chauncey Foxworth, Domonique Fraser, Simon Jefferson, Jason Koenen, Michael White, Roddy Clabo, Tyson Fudge, Jamaal Norwood, Jerious Ojinnaka, Quinn Rader, Jason Wilkerson, Ben Anderson, Jamaal Blalock, Justin Dahl, Harvey Houston, Chris Nicholas, Stephen Shockley, D.J. Snelling, Jason Grimes, Brent Weems, Eric Baker, Sam Biermann, Kroy Brock, Eric DeCoud, Thomas Douglas, Harry Jackson, Chevis Lofton, Curtis Ryan, Matt Sharpe, Glenn
POS K OT TE S DT LB OT C LS DE WR TE LB DT FB QB S LB WR C RB DT LB DE CB DE DT P WR OT S RB OT TE C DE OG OG CB LB QB RB CB WR OT DE S S WR CB LB QB CB
H 5-11 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-0 6-4 6-4 5-10 6-2 6-3 6-2 5-11 6-6 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-6 5-9 5-11 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-5 5-11 6-3 6-0 5-11 5-10 5-9 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-0 6-4 6-0
W 194 308 255 216 345 241 300 301 234 263 206 250 228 299 245 221 206 248 215 296 244 284 223 274 180 274 295 199 208 332 194 202 305 271 310 282 333 308 175 232 222 229 185 191 312 241 202 197 171 185 248 220 185
Birthdate 3/8/70 2/10/71 2/8/72 11/14/73 1/21/73 10/30/75 9/16/75 2/16/77 8/4/77 5/6/78 1/31/76 3/15/79 11/7/78 10/14/78 6/10/80 7/7/77 5/16/82 10/16/79 6/18/82 9/25/81 2/13/82 10/12/81 8/24/82 1/27/83 3/27/83 3/27/83 12/20/81 7/13/82 11/2/81 10/17/81 5/17/83 7/29/83 4/23/84 4/12/81 11/22/82 2/6/86 12/20/83 6/24/81 10/18/84 5/1/83 3/23/83 12/29/83 7/19/83 7/4/85 5/30/85 9/12/85 4/24/85 3/19/85 9/16/84 12/11/85 6/2/86 5/17/85 2/27/84
38 35 96 11 18 66 70 91 82
Barclay, Chris Vinnett, Darius Evans, Willie Kinoshita, Noriaki** Williams, Chandler Bennett, Nate Butterworth, Michael Myles, Tywain Zinger, Keith
RB CB DE WR WR OG OL DT TE
5-10 5-8 6-1 5-10 5-11 6-4 6-7 6-2 6-4
180 170 267 179 178 315 298 305 268
10/15/83 9/30/84 3/5/84 12/29/82 8/9/85 1/19/84 1/7/85 10/1/84 10/9/84
89 25 41 30 64 19 27 51
Hartsock, Ben Hutchins, Von Harris, Antonie Irons, David McCoy, Pat Robinson, Laurent Brown, Thomas James, Robert
TE CB S CB OL WR RB LB
6-4 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-5 6-2 5-8 5-11
264 185 197 197 333 194 200 218
7/5/80 2/14/81 4/8/82 10/9/82 12/14/80 5/20/85 5/15/86 12/26/83
OL DT
6-7 6-3
340 323
79 Foster, Renardo 97 Lewis, Trey
EXP 16 14 14 13 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 R R R R R R R R R
COLLEGE Hawaii Auburn Bradley Washington Knoxville Georgia Tech Kansas State LSU Wisconsin South Carolina Villanova Oregon Stanford Alabama Wake Forest Louisville Washington State Georgia Ohio State Ohio State Northern Illinois Iowa Southern Miss Florida State Maryland Ohio State Wisconsin Western Washington Alabama-Birmingham Wake Forest Clemson Mississippi State Syracuse Marshall Louisiana State Arkansas Texas Nevada-Reno Arkansas South Florida Georgia Virginia Shippensburg Bethune-Cookman USC Montana Auburn Cal-Berkeley Louisville LSU Oklahoma Boston College Miami (Fla.)
ACQUIRED UFA '08 (Den) FA' 08 FA '08 FA '06 FA '08 D1 '98 UFA '02 (Sea) D7a '99 FA '07 Tr '06 (NYJ) FA '00 FA '08 FA' 08 UFA '08 (Car) UFA '07 (Balt) FA '07 FA '08 FA '08 D1b '04 UFA '08 (Cin) UFA '08 (SD) D2 '05 D5a '05 D4 '05 Tr '08 (Den) FA '08 W '08 (Buf) FA '05 D1 '05 FA '06 W '08 (Jax) D3 '06 D5 '06 FA '08 FA '07 D1 '07 D2a '07 FA '07 D2b '07 D4a '07 D7 '06 D7 '07 FA '07 FA '07 D1b '08 D5b '08 FA '08 D3c '08 D3b '08 D3a '08 D2 '08 D1a '08 FA '08
HOMETOWN Ft. Walton Beach, FL Haines City, FL Valley, AL St. Louis, MO Greensboro, AL Senoia, GA Coral Springs, FL Baton Rouge, LA Whitefish Bay, WI Timmonsville, SC Mission Viejo, CA Fresno, CA Camp Hill, PA Memphis, TN Boston, MA Louisville, KY Sacramento, CA Macon, GA Tampa, FL Berea, OH Waukegan, IL Port Arthur, TX Gadsden, AL Bartow, FL Cantonsville, MD Upper Arlington, OH Chicago, IL Ferndale, WA James Island, SC Knoxville, TN Jacksonville, FL Jackson, MS Seabrook, MD St. Albans, WV Port Arthur, TX Little Rock, AR Dallas, TX Fallon, NV Austin, TX Jacksonville, FL College Park, GA Chester, VA Philadelphia, PA Ormond Beach, FL Tustin, CA Hardin, MT Alexander City, AL Vallejo, CA Jonesboro, GA Mobile, AL Kingfisher, OK Exton, PA Miami, FL
PRACTICE SQUAD 2 Wake Forest 2 Arkansas 1 Mississippi State 1 Ritsumeikan (Japan) 1 Florida International R Clemson R Slippery Rock R Tarleton State R LSU
FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 FA '08 D7b '08
Louisville, KY New Orleans, LA Waynesboro, MS Osaka, Japan Miami, FL Dallas, GA Northern Cambria, PA Nacogdoches, TX Leesville, LA
INJURED RESERVE 5 Ohio State 5 Mississippi 2 Louisville 2 Auburn 2 West Texas A&M 2 Illinois State R Georgia R Arizona State
FA '08 FA '08 FA '07 D6b '07 FA '07 D3 '07 D6 '08 D5a '08
Chillicothe, OH Natchez, MS Columbus, OH Dacula, GA Fairfield, CA Fort Lewis, WA Tucker, GA Glendale, AZ
FA '07 D6a '07
Ripley, TN Topeka, KS
RESERVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM 7/15/84 2 Louisville 5/23/85 2 Washburn
** International practice squad player COACHING STAFF Mike 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), 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), Chris Scelfo (Tight Ends), Glenn Thomas (Offensive Assistant).
updated 1/6/2009
2008 Atlanta Falcons Roster By Position Offense: 25 Coordinator: Mike Mularkey Offensive Assistant: Glenn Thomas QUARTERBACKS (3) Coach: Bill Musgrave 2 Matt Ryan 3 D.J. Shockley 8 Chris Redman RUNNING BACKS (4) Coach: Gerald Brown 32 Jerious Norwood 33 Michael Turner 34 Ovie Mughelli 44 Jason Snelling WIDE RECEIVERS (5) Coach: Terry Robiskie 12 Michael Jenkins 14 Eric Weems 83 Harry Douglas 84 Roddy White 86 Brian Finneran TIGHT ENDS (3) Coach: Chris Scelfo 81 Marcus Pollard 85 Jason Rader 87 Justin Peelle OFFENSIVE LINE (10) Coach: Paul Boudreau 62 Todd McClure 63 Justin Blalock 67 Ben Wilkerson 68 Wayne Gandy 69 Alex Stepanovich 72 Sam Baker 73 Harvey Dahl 74 Todd Weiner 76 Quinn Ojinnaka 77 Tyson Clabo
Defense/Special Teams: 28 Coordinator: Brian VanGorder Defensive Assistant: Joe Danna DEFENSIVE LINE (9) Coach: Ray Hamilton 55 John Abraham 71 Kroy Biermann 75 Simon Fraser 90 Grady Jackson 92 Chauncey Davis 94 Kindal Moorehead 95 Jonathan Babineaux 98 Jamaal Anderson 99 Jason Jefferson LINEBACKERS (6) Coach: Glenn Pires 50 Curtis Lofton 51 Tony Gilbert 52 Coy Wire 54 Stephen Nicholas 56 Keith Brooking 59 Michael Boley DEFENSIVE BACKS (10) Coach: Emmitt Thomas Coach: Alvin Reynolds 20 Brent Grimes 22 Chevis Jackson 23 Chris Houston 24 Domonique Foxworth 26 Erik Coleman 28 Thomas DeCoud 29 Jamaal Fudge 36 Lawyer Milloy 37 Glenn Sharpe 42 Eric Brock SPECIALISTS (3) Coach: Keith Armstrong/Tom McMahon 1 Jason Elam 9 Michael Koenen 46 Mike Schneck
2008 ATLANTA FALCONS UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART (End of the Season)
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
12 72 63 62 73 77 87 84 2 33 34
Michael Jenkins Sam Baker Justin Blalock Todd McClure Harvey Dahl Tyson Clabo Justin Peelle Roddy White Matt Ryan Michael Turner Ovie Mughelli
86 76 67 67 77 74 85 83 8 32
Brian Finneran Quinn Ojinnaka Ben Wilkerson Ben Wilkerson Tyson Clabo Todd Weiner Jason Rader Harry Douglas Chris Redman Jerious Norwood
92 99 94 75 54 51 52 22 20 29 28
Chauncey Davis Jason Jefferson Kindal Moorehead Simon Fraser Stephen Nicholas Tony Gilbert Coy Wire Chevis Jackson Brent Grimes Jamaal Fudge Thomas DeCoud
1 1
Jason Elam Jason Elam
68 Wayne Gandy 69 Alex Stepanovich
81 14 3 44
Marcus Pollard Eric Weems D.J. Shockley Jason Snelling
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
55 90 95 98 59 50 56 23 24 36 26
John Abraham Grady Jackson Jonathan Babineaux Jamaal Anderson Michael Boley Curtis Lofton Keith Brooking Chris Houston Domonique Foxworth Lawyer Milloy Erik Coleman
71 Kroy Biermann
37 Glenn Sharpe 42 Eric Brock
SPECIALISTS K KO P KR PR LS H
1 9 9 32 83 46 9
Jason Elam Michael Koenen Michael Koenen Jerious Norwood Harry Douglas Mike Schneck Michael Koenen
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 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
2008 PARTICIPATION DET @TB RE RE Anderson, J. LE LE Babineaux, J. DT DT Baker, S. LT LT Biermann, K. P P Blalock, J. LG LG Boley, M. OLB OLB Brock, E. Brooking, K. OLB OLB Clabo, T. RT RT Coleman, E. FS FS Dahl, H. RG RG Davis, C. P P DeCoud, T. DNP P Douglas, H. P P Elam, J. P P Finneran, B. P P Foxworth, D. IA P Fraser, S. IA P Fudge, J. DNP IA Gandy, W. Gilbert, T. IA IA Grimes, B. LCB LCB Harris, A. P P Hartsock, B. TE TE Houston, C. RCB RCB Irons, D. P IA Jackson, C. P P Jackson, G. DT IA Jefferson, J. IA DT Jenkins, M. WR WR Jennings, A. P P Koenen, M. P P Lofton, C. MLB MLB McClure, T. C C Miller, B. Milloy, L. SS SS Milner, M. IA IA Moorehead, K. P P Mughelli, O. FB FB Nicholas, S. P P Norwood, J. P P Ojinnaka, Q. IA IA Peelle, J. P P Pollard, M. Rader, J. Redman, C. DNP DNP Robinson, L. P P Ryan, M. QB QB Schneck, M. P P Sharpe, G. Shockley, D. IA IA Snelling, J. P P Stepanovich, A. IA IA Turner, M. RB RB Weems, E. Weiner, T. P P White, R. WR WR Wilkerson, B. P P Wire, C. P P
55 Abraham, J. 98 95 72 71 63 59 42 56 77 26 73 92 28 83 1 86 24 75 29 68 51 20 41 89 23 30 22 91 99 12 81 9 50 62 96 36 88 94 34 54 32 76 87 81 85 8 19 2 46 37 3 44 69 33 14 74 84 67 52
KC @CAR @GB RE RE RE LE LE LE DT DT DT LT IA LT P P P LG LG LG P OLB OLB
CHI RE LE DT LT P LG OLB
@PHI RE LE DT IA P LG OLB
@OAK RE LE DT IA P LG OLB
NO RE LE DT IA P LG OLB
DEN RE LE DT IA P LG OLB
CAR RE LE DT IA P LG OLB
@SD RE LE DT IA P LG OLB
@NO RE LE P IA P LG OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
OLB
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
RT
FS
FS
FS
FS
FS
P
FS
FS
FS
FS
FS
RG
RG
RG
RG
RG
RG
RG
RG
RG
RG
RG P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
LCB
LCB
LCB
LCB
LCB
LCB
LCB
IA
IA
P
P
IA
IA
IA
IA
P
IA
IA
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
TB RE LE DT P P LG P
@MIN RE LE DT P P LG P IA OLB OLB RT RT FS FS RG RG P P P P P P P P P P LCB LCB IA IA P P IA P IA IA IA P IR IR IR IR RCB RCB P IR P P DT DT P P WR WR
STL RD IA DT P P LG P P OLB RT FS RG LE P P P P LCB P SS IA IA P IR IR RCB IR P DT P WR
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
LCB
LCB
LCB
LCB
P
P
P
IA
P
IA
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
IR
IR
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
RCB
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
P
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
CB
P
P
P
P
CB
DT
DT
DT
DT
DT
DT
DT
DT
DT
DT
DT
P
P
IA
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
WR
P
WR
WR
P
P
P
WR
WR
WR
WR
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
MLB
MLB
MLB
MLB
MLB
MLB
MLB
MLB
MLB
MLB
P
MLB
MLB
MLB
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
IA
DNP SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
SS
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
P
DT
P
P
P
FB
P
FB
FB
P
FB
FB
FB
FB
FB
FB
FB
FB
FB
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
P
IA
IA
P
P
IA
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
P
TE
P
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
P
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
IA
IA
IA
DNP
TE
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
P
IA
IA
IA
IA
P
P
P
QB
QB
QB
QB
QB
QB
QB
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
P
P
P
P
P
P
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
IA
IA
IA
IA
IR
IR
QB
QB
QB
QB
QB
QB
QB
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
IA IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
P
FB
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
IA
P
IA
P
P
P
IA
IA
IA
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
RB
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
LT
P
P
LT
LT
LT
LT
LT
LT
LT
LT
LT
LT
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
IA
IA
IA
P
P
P
OLB
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
OLB
OLB
OLB
Position - start P - played IA - inactive DNP - did not play IR - injured reserve MR - reserve/military PUP- physically unable to perform SR - Supsended/Reserve PS/IN - practice squad/Injured
*PL 16 15 16 8 16 16 16 1 16 16 16 16 16 10 16 16 16 15 5 11 7 0 12 12 11 16 5 16 15 12 16 7 16 16 16 0 15 0 13 16 16 16 8 16 1 6 0 6 16 16 0 0 16 4 16 6 16 16 13 16
S DNP 0 15 0 15 0 5 0 0 0 16 0 13 0 0 0 16 0 16 0 15 0 16 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 11 0 16 0 0 0 2 0 15 0 1 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 16 0 0 1 15 0 0 0 1 0 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 1 1 0 16 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 11 0 16 0 0 0 4 0 16
NFI - reserve/non-football injury
IA 0 1 0 8 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 11 4 2 16 4 1 0 0 9 0 1 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 8 0 1 3 0 8 0 0 3 16 0 12 0 0 0 0 3 0
HOW THE FALCONS WERE BUILT Year
By Draft
2008
QB Matt Ryan (D1a-‘08) OT Sam Baker (D1b-‘08) LB Curtis Lofton (D2-‘08) CB Chevis Jackson (D3a-‘08) WR Harry Douglas (D3b-‘08) S Thomas DeCoud (D3c-‘08) DE Kroy Biermann (D5b-‘08)
2007
DE Jamaal Anderson (D1-‘07) OG Justin Blalock (D2a-‘07) CB Chris Houston (D2b-‘07) LB Stephen Nicholas (D4a-‘07) RB Jason Snelling (D7-‘07)
2006
RB Jerious Norwood (D3-‘06) OT Quinn Ojinnaka (D5-‘06) QB D.J. Shockley (D7-‘06)
2005
WR Roddy White (D1-‘05) DT Jonathan Babineaux (D2-‘05) DE Chauncey Davis (D4-‘05) LB Michael Boley (D5a-‘05)
2004
WR Michael Jenkins (D1b-‘04)
By Trade
Undrafted Free Agents
CB Domonique Foxworth (Tr ‘08 - Den)
Free Agents S Eric Brock S Erik Coleman K Jason Elam (UFA-‘08 - Den.) DE Simon Fraser S Jamaal Fudge (W ‘08 - Jax) OT Wayne Gandy LB Tony Gilbert DT Grady Jackson DT Jason Jefferson (W ‘08 - Buf) DT Kindal Moorehead (UFA-‘08 - Car.) TE Justin Peelle TE Marcus Pollard TE Jason Rader CB Glenn Sharpe C Alex Stepanovich (UFA-‘08 - Cin.) RB Michael Turner (UFA-‘08 - S.D.) WR Eric Weems LB Coy Wire G Harvey Dahl CB Brent Grimes FB Ovie Mughelli (UFA-‘07 - Bal.) QB Chris Redman LS Mike Schneck C Ben Wilkerson
DE John Abraham (Tr-‘06 - NYJ)
OT Tyson Clabo S Lawyer Milloy P Michael Koenen
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)
2008 ATLANTA FALCONS TRANSACTIONS Date
Transaction
January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January January
2 2 8 10 13 16 23 23 25 25 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 29 29 29 30 30 31
February February February February February February February February February
4 5 6 11 11 11 13 13 15
February 29 March March March March March March March March March March
1 2 3 5 7 10 12 14 19 20
March 21 March 24 April April April April April
9 14 18 24 26
April 26 April 27
April 28 April 29 April 30
Signed LB Earl Everett, DB C.J. Gaddis, LB Cameron Vaughn and WR Todd Watkins to Reserve/Future contracts Offensive Line Coach Mike Summers and Offensive Quality Control Coach Derrick Nix resign from the team Signed free agent DE Willie Evans Linebackers Coach Brian VanGorder resigns from the team Named Thomas Dimitroff General Manager of the Falcons Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer resigns from the team Named Mike Smith the 14th Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons Named Emmitt Thomas Assistant Head Coach/Secondary Coach Named Mike Mularkey Offensive Coordinator Named Brian VanGorder Defensive Coordinator Ollie Wilson not retained as Running Backs Coach Andy Sugarman not retained as Offensive Assistant Kevin Wolthausen not retained as Defensive Line Coach Hue Jackson not retained as Offensive Coordinator Evan Marcus not retained as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave Puloka not retained as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Jon Gannon not retained as Defensive Assistant Jerry Rosburg not retained as Special Teams Coordinator Named Terry Robiskie Wide Receivers Coach Named Ray Hamilton Defensive Line Coach Named Gerald Brown Running Backs Coach Named Glenn Thomas Offensive Assistant Named Keith Armstrong Special Teams Coordinator Named Jeff Fish Director of Athletic Performance Named Bill Hughan Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Named Chris Scelfo Tight Ends Coach Named Paul Dunn Assistant Offensive Line Coach Named Paul Boudreau Offensive Line Coach Named Joe Danna Defensive Assistant Signed free agent tight end George Cooper Named Alvin Reynolds Defensive Backs Coach Waived WR Todd Watkins Joe Whitt Jr. not retained as Assistanta Defensive Backs Coach Keith Rowen not retained as Tight Ends Coach Named Glenn Pires Linebackers Coach Retained Billy “White Shoes” Johnson as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Released LB Marcus Wilkins, CB Lewis Sanders, QB Byron Leftwich, TE Alge Crumpler, DT Rod Coleman, OL Wayne Gandy and WR Jamin Elliott Re-signed QB Chris Redman and waived RB Taurean Henderson Signed free agent S Erik Coleman and signed free agent CB Von Hutchins Signed unrestricted free agent (SD) Michael Turner and signed free agent TE Ben Hartsock Released RB Warrick Dunn Released QB Joey Harrington Signed unrestriced free agent (Car) DL Kindal Moorehead and free agents DL Simon Fraser and Rashad Moore Re-signed DT Tim Anderson and signed Unrestricted Free Agent (Cin) Alex Stepanovich Re-signed QB Joey Harrington Signed free agent TE Jason Rader Retained exclusive rights for OL Tyson Clabo 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 draft Signed unrestricted free agent (Den) K Jason Elam Retained exclusive rights for DT Montavious Stanley LB Michael Boley signs tender offer DE Chauncey Davis and P Michael Koenen sign tender offers FB Corey McIntrye signs tender offer Signed free agent K Kevin Lovell 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 Redskins 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) 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 (212th overall) and TE Keith Zinger in the seventh round (232nd overall) 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 Signed free agent WR Chandler Williams and claimed the contract of free agent CB Nick Turnbull from the Cincinnati Bengals David Caldwell hired as the Director of College Scouting
2008 ATLANTA FALCONS TRANSACTIONS May May May May May May May
8 11 19 20 21 22 23
Lionel Vital hired as the Assistant Director of Player Personnel Waived CB C.J. Gaddis Signed free agents WR Tony Gonzalez, S Eric Brock and S Jamal Lewis. Waived S Nick Turnbull and LB Earl Everett Signed QB Matt Ryan to a six-year contract Signed free agent TE Brad Listorti Waived P Jimmie Kaylor Waived S D.J. Wolfe
June June June June
7 10 17 18
Signed TE Keith Zinger to a four-year contract Signed CB Chevis Jackson and S Thomas DeCoud to four-year contracts. Waived TE George Cooper Waived S Jimmy Williams and signed CB Wilrey Fontenot to a four-year contract 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 Cooper Signed WR Harry Douglas to a four-year contract Waived C Doug Datish Signed DE Kroy Biermann to a four-year contract
June 20 June 23 June 26 July July July July July
15 18 23 23 25
Signed LB Robert James to a four-year contract Waived WR Tony Gonzalez Signed Doug Plank as a seasonal coaching assistant Signed Noriaki Kinoshita as the team’s international practice squad player 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 Signed DT Grady Jackson and CB Glenn Sharpe, placed CB Von Hutchins on injured reserve and waived DL David Patterson
July 29
August August August August August August August August
4 5 6 7 11 19 24 26
August 30
August 31
September 1 September 2 September 16 September 17 October 14 October 29
November 11 November 19 November 20 November 26 December 9 December 10 December 16
December 24
Signed TE George Cooper and waived RB Jamar Brittingham Waived/Injured LB Robert James Signed LB Mickey Pimentel and placed LB Robert James on injured reserve Signed C Doug Datish and waived K Kevin Lovell Waived/Injured TE Brad Listorti Released WR Joe Horn and waived/injured LB Isaac Brown Waived TE George Cooper and signed TE Marcus Pollard Moved OL Renardo Foster to the reserve physically unable to perform list and moved DT Trey Lewis to the reserve non football injury list 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 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) 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 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 Waived TE Martrez Milner Signed TE Jason Rader 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 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 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 Waived DE Brandon Miller and signed WR Eric Weems from the practice squad to the active roster Signed DE Willie Evans to the practice squad Placed TE Ben Hartsock on injured reserve and signed free agent TE Jason Rader 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 OL D’Anthony Batiste was signed off the practice squad to the Washington Redskins roster 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 DT J’Vonne Parker signed from the Falcons practice squad to the Carolina Panthers roster, signed DT Tywain Myles to the practice squad
ATLANTA FALCONS / WEEK 17 / THROUGH SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2008 WON 11, 09/07 W 09/14 L 09/21 W 09/28 L 10/05 W 10/12 W 10/26 L 11/02 W 11/09 W 11/16 L 11/23 W 11/30 W 12/07 L 12/14 W 12/21 W 12/28 W
LOST 5 34-21 9-24 38-14 9-24 27-24 22-20 14-27 24- 0 34-20 20-24 45-28 22-16 25-29 13-10 OT 24-17 31-27
Detroit 62,310 at Tampa Bay 63,611 Kansas City 62,434 at Carolina 72,688 at Green Bay 70,610 Chicago 64,096 at Philadelphia 69,144 at Oakland 61,196 New Orleans 64,826 Denver 64,358 Carolina 64,841 at San Diego 67,200 at New Orleans 70,011 Tampa Bay 65,045 at Minnesota 62,889 St. Louis 64,617 Atl. Opp. TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 313 309 Rushing 131 108 Passing 157 189 Penalty 25 12 3rd Down: Made/Att 95/219 79/208 3rd Down Pct. 43.4 38.0 4th Down: Made/Att 6/13 10/20 4th Down Pct. 46.2 50.0 POSSESSION AVG. 30:49 29:11 TOTAL NET YARDS 5779 5566 Avg. Per Game 361.2 347.9 Total Plays 1011 998 Avg. Per Play 5.7 5.6 NET YARDS RUSHING 2443 2040 Avg. Per Game 152.7 127.5 Total Rushes 560 415 NET YARDS PASSING 3336 3526 Avg. Per Game 208.5 220.4 Sacked/Yards Lost 17/104 34/245 Gross Yards 3440 3771 Att./Completions 434/265 549/325 Completion Pct. 61.1 59.2 Had Intercepted 11 10 PUNTS/AVERAGE 65/39.5 76/45.5 NET PUNTING AVG. 65/37.5 76/39.2 PENALTIES/YARDS 71/591 109/854 FUMBLES/BALL LOST 18/10 18/8 TOUCHDOWNS 43 38 Rushing 23 17 Passing 16 20 Returns 4 1 * SCORE BY PERIODS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT PTS TEAM 114 120 43 111 3 391 OPPONENTS 52 87 60 126 0 325 * SCORING TD-Ru-Pa-Rt K-PAT FG S PTS Elam 0 0 0 0 42/42 29/31 0 129 Turner 17 17 0 0 0 102 White 7 0 7 0 0 42 Norwood 6 4 2 0 0 36 Jenkins 3 0 3 0 0 20 Douglas 3 1 1 1 0 18 Peelle 2 0 2 0 0 12 Blalock 1 0 0 1 0 6 Finneran 1 0 1 0 0 6 Houston 1 0 0 1 0 6 C. Jackson 1 0 0 1 0 6 Ryan 1 1 0 0 0 6 TEAM 43 23 16 4 42/42 29/31 1 391 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 Ryan TEAM OPPONENTS
Att Cmp 434 265 434 265 549 325
* RUSHING No. Yds Avg Long TD Turner 376 1699 4.5 70 17 Norwood 95 489 5.1 45t 4 Ryan 55 104 1.9 17 1 Douglas 12 69 5.8 33 1 Snelling 15 62 4.1 13 0 Mughelli 5 16 3.2 9 0 White 2 4 2.0 2 0 TEAM 560 2443 4.4 70 23 OPPONENTS 415 2040 4.9 68t 17 * RECEIVING No. Yds Avg Long TD White 88 1382 15.7 70t 7 Jenkins 50 777 15.5 62t 3 Norwood 36 338 9.4 67t 2 Douglas 23 320 13.9 69 1 Finneran 21 169 8.0 14 1 Peelle 15 159 10.6 18t 2 Snelling 8 89 11.1 27 0 Mughelli 8 57 7.1 18 0 Turner 6 41 6.8 18 0 Robinson 5 52 10.4 23 0 Hartsock 3 26 8.7 17 0 Rader 1 26 26.0 26 0 Weems 1 4 4.0 4 0 TEAM 265 3440 13.0 70t 16 OPPONENTS 325 3771 11.6 56t 20 * INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg Long TD Coleman 3 48 16.0 32 0 Houston 2 10 5.0 10t 1 C. Jackson 1 95 95.0 95t 1 Milloy 1 38 38.0 38 0 Grimes 1 25 25.0 25 0 Boley 1 16 16.0 16 0 Foxworth 1 1 1.0 1 0 TEAM 10 233 23.3 95t 2 OPPONENTS 11 74 6.7 23 0 * PUNTING No. Yds Avg Net TB In Lg B Koenen 63 2566 40.7 37.5 4 25 60 2 TEAM 65 2566 39.5 37.5 4 25 60 2 OPPONENTS 76 3458 45.5 39.2 5 21 64 1 * PUNT RETURNS Ret FC Yds Avg Long TD Jennings TM 23 6 151 6.6 37 0 Douglas 19 3 226 11.9 61t 1 Finneran 1 3 2 2.0 2 0 TEAM 43 12 379 8.8 61t 1 OPPONENTS 20 27 49 2.5 12 0 * KICKOFF RETURNS No. Yds Avg Long TD Norwood 51 1311 25.7 92 0 Douglas 4 46 11.5 22 0 Finneran 1 5 5.0 5 0 Mughelli 1 17 17.0 17 0 Weems 1 19 19.0 19 0 Wilkerson 1 10 10.0 10 0 TEAM 59 1408 23.9 92 0 OPPONENTS 71 1536 21.6 88 0 * FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Elam 0/ 0 11/11 7/ 8 10/10 1/2 TEAM 0/ 0 11/11 7/ 8 10/10 1/2 OPPONENTS 1/ 1 9/ 9 6/ 7 3/ 5 1/3 Elam: (50G,25G)(32G,27G,24G)(27G)(33G,44G,44G) (42G,41G)(29G,48G,32G,41G,33N,48G)()(48G,51N) (22G,27G)(46G,36G)(23G)(35G,40G)(23G)(26G,34G) (22G)(39G) OPPONENTS: ()(33G)(32N)(44G)(53N,50G)(36G,32G) (36G,18G)()(24G,44G)(49N,20G)(23G,21G)(43B, 28G)(26G,46G,25G)(53N,38G)(29G)(31G,27G)
Yds Cmp% Yds/Att 3440 61.1 7.93 3440 61.1 7.93 3771 59.2 6.87
TD 16 16 20
TD% 3.7 3.7 3.6
Int Int% Long Sack/Lost Rating 11 2.5 70t 17/ 104 87.7 11 2.5 70t 17/ 104 87.7 10 1.8 56t 34/ 245 84.6
2008 ATLANTA FALCONS DEFENSIVE/SPECIAL TEAMS STATS Based on Coaches Breakdown
PLAYER
TOTAL SOLO
DEFENSIVE STATS ASSISTS SK/YDS INT PD FF FR
PLAYER
SPECIAL TEAMS STATS 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
1004
722
282
34.0/245.0
10
76
10
6
TOTALS
103
88
15
0
1
2
TOTALS
ATLANTA FALCONS / WEEK 18 / THROUGH SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2009 / POSTSEASON WON 0, LOST 1 01/03 L 24-30
at Arizona 62,848 Atl. Opp. TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 20 15 Rushing 6 5 Passing 14 9 Penalty 0 1 3rd Down: Made/Att 6/14 6/15 3rd Down Pct. 42.9 40.0 4th Down: Made/Att 1/1 0/0 4th Down Pct. 100.0 0.0 POSSESSION AVG. 29:58 30:02 TOTAL NET YARDS 250 357 Avg. Per Game 250.0 357.0 Total Plays 67 60 Avg. Per Play 3.7 6.0 NET YARDS RUSHING 60 86 Avg. Per Game 60.0 86.0 Total Rushes 24 28 NET YARDS PASSING 190 271 Avg. Per Game 190.0 271.0 Sacked/Yards Lost 3/9 0/0 Gross Yards 199 271 Att./Completions 40/26 32/19 Completion Pct. 65.0 59.4 Had Intercepted 2 1 PUNTS/AVERAGE 5/42.4 6/39.8 NET PUNTING AVG. 5/42.6 6/34.7 PENALTIES/YARDS 6/52 6/47 FUMBLES/BALL LOST 2/1 0/0 TOUCHDOWNS 3 4 Rushing 1 1 Passing 2 2 Returns 0 1 * SCORE BY PERIODS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT PTS TEAM 0 17 0 7 0 24 OPPONENTS 7 7 14 2 0 30 * SCORING TD-Ru-Pa-Rt K-PAT FG S PTS Elam 0 0 0 0 3/ 3 1/ 1 0 6 Peelle 1 0 1 0 0 6 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 Ryan TEAM OPPONENTS
* RUSHING Turner Norwood Ryan TEAM OPPONENTS * RECEIVING White Jenkins Peelle Finneran Pollard Norwood Turner Douglas TEAM OPPONENTS * INTERCEPTIONS C. Jackson TEAM OPPONENTS * PUNTING Koenen TEAM OPPONENTS * PUNT RETURNS Douglas TEAM OPPONENTS * KICKOFF RETURNS Norwood TEAM OPPONENTS * FIELD GOALS Elam TEAM OPPONENTS Elam: (30G) TEAM: (30G) OPPONENTS: (51N)
Att Cmp Yds Cmp% Yds/Att TD 40 26 199 65.0 4.98 2 40 26 199 65.0 4.98 2 32 19 271 59.4 8.47 2
No. Yds Avg Long TD 18 42 2.3 13 1 2 12 6.0 8 0 4 6 1.5 2 0 24 60 2.5 13 1 28 86 3.1 10 1 No. Yds Avg Long TD 11 84 7.6 12 1 5 51 10.2 21 0 3 11 3.7 6 1 2 11 5.5 7 0 2 7 3.5 6 0 1 28 28.0 28 0 1 7 7.0 7 0 1 0 0.0 0 0 26 199 7.7 28 2 19 271 14.3 71t 2 No. Yds Avg Long TD 1 0 0.0 0 0 1 0 0.0 0 0 2 3 1.5 3 0 No. Yds Avg Net TB In Lg B 5 212 42.4 42.6 0 0 49 0 5 212 42.4 42.6 0 0 49 0 6 239 39.8 34.7 0 4 49 0 Ret FC Yds Avg Long TD 3 0 31 10.3 21 0 3 0 31 10.3 21 0 2 1 -1 -.5 0 0 No. Yds Avg Long TD 2 54 27.0 30 0 2 54 27.0 30 0 5 86 17.2 23 0 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ 0/ 0 0/ 0 1/ 1 0/ 0 0/0 0/ 0 0/ 0 1/ 1 0/ 0 0/0 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/ 0 0/1
TD% Int Int% Long Sack/Lost Rating 5.0 2 5.0 28 3/ 9 72.8 5.0 2 5.0 28 3/ 9 72.8 6.3 1 3.1 71t 0/ 0 94.7
2008 ATLANTA FALCONS POSTSEASON DEFENSIVE/SPECIAL TEAMS STATS Based on Coaches Breakdown
PLAYER
TOTAL SOLO
DEFENSIVE STATS ASSISTS SK/YDS INT PD FF FR PLAYER
SPECIAL TEAMS STATS 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
2008 GAME-BY-GAME STARTERS OFFENSE WR
LT
LG
C
RG
RT
M. Jenkins
S. Baker
J. Blalock
T. McClure
H. Dahl
T. Clabo
TE
WR
QB
RB
FB
M. Ryan
M. Turner
O. Mughelli
DET
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
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
T. Weiner
B. Hartsock
R. White
09/07
DEFENSE LE
DT
DT
RE
OLB
MLB
OLB
LCB
J. Anderson
G. Jackson
J. Babineaux
J. Abraham
M. Boley
C. Lofton
K. Brooking
B. Grimes
RCB C. Houston
SS
FS
09/07
DET
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 gameday inactives DET
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 3rd Down Made Att. Effic. 3 9 33% 7 19 37% 6 13 46% 2 13 15% 6 12 50% 6 14 43% 6 16 38% 9 17 53% 5 11 45% 11 18 61% 6 13 46% 8 16 50% 7 12 58% 6 14 43% 5 12 42% 2 10 20%
OPPONENT DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
95
219
OPPONENTS
4th Down Made Att. Effic. 0 0 0% 0 1 0% 0 0 0% 0 2 0% 1 1 100% 0 0 0% 1 2 50% 1 2 50% 0 0 0% 0 1 0% 2 2 100% 1 2 50% 0 0 0% 0 0 0% 0 0 0% 0 0 0%
45%
6
13
3rd Down Made Att. 2 9 6 14 8 18 3 12 7 13 9 16 3 12 1 9 7 15 7 12 5 14 3 12 4 10 3 14 6 13 5 15
46.2%
79
208
Effic. 22% 43% 44% 25% 54% 56% 25% 11% 47% 58% 36% 25% 40% 21% 46% 33%
Made 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 2 1
4th Down Att. 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 1 3 0 1 1 1 0 4 3
Effic. 0% 0% 50% 0% 0% 50% 0% 0% 67% 0% 100% 0% 100% 0% 50% 33%
37.9%
10
20
50%
2008 ATLANTA FALCONS RED ZONE STATISTICS “INSIDE THE 20” Score OPPONENT DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
Drives in
ATL
Opp
Red Zone
Scores
Scoring %
Pts
TDs
TD%
FGs
Turnovers
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
4 3 4 2 3 4 2 4 4 2 6 4 4 3 4 3
3 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 4 2 6 3 4 3 3 3
75.0 100.0 100.0 50.0 66.7 75.0 50.0 50.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 75.0 100.0 100.0 75.0 100.0
17 9 24 3 14 13 7 14 20 10 38 17 25 13 21 21
2 0 3 0 2 1 1 2 2 1 5 2 3 1 3 3
50.0 0.0 75.0 0.0 66.7 25.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 50.0 83.3 50.0 75.0 33.3 75.0 100.0
1 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 2 0 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
391
325
56
47
83.9
266
31
55.3
16
4
2008 ATLANTA FALCONS OPPONENTS’ RED ZONE STATISTICS “INSIDE THE 20” Score OPPONENT DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
Drives in
ATL
Opp
Red Zone
Scores
Scoring %
Pts
TDs
TD%
FGs
Turnovers
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
2 5 4 1 1 5 4 1 4 4 5 2 5 1 3 3
2 3 2 1 1 4 4 0 2 4 5 2 5 1 1 4
100.0 60.0 50.0 100.0 100.0 80.0 100.0 0.0 50.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 33.0 70.0
14 17 14 7 7 20 20 0 10 24 28 10 26 3 7 21
2 2 2 1 1 2 2 0 1 3 3 1 3 0 1 3
100.0 60.0 50.0 100.0 100.0 40.0 50.0 0.0 25.0 75.0 60.0 50.0 60.0 0.0 33.3 100.0
0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 1 2 1 2 1 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
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 Play
Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit @ Tampa Bay @ Tampa Bay @ Tampa Bay Kansas City Kansas City Kansas City Kansas City Kansas City Kansas City @ Carolina @ Carolina @ Carolina @ Green Bay @ Green Bay @ Green Bay @ Green Bay @ Green Bay Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago @ Philadelphia @ Philadelphia @ Oakland @ Oakland @ Oakland @ Oakland New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans New Orleans Denver Denver Denver Denver Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina @ San Diego @ San Diego @ San Diego @ San Diego
1 1 1 3 3 4 2 3 4 1 1 2 2 3 4 1 2 2 1 1 2 4 4 1 1 2 3 4 4 2 4 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 3 4 4 1 2 2 4 1 1 2 4 4 4 4 1 1 2 2
13:33 7:33 3:20 9:45 5:57 10:23 0:12 1:03 5:12 3:20 0:07 9:15 2:11 5:13 1:01 1:33 12:12 0:37 9:53 4:15 6:02 7:19 3:35 9:13 0:59 7:49 10:36 13:25 0:00 8:56 3:55 8:56 5:02 12:54 6:29 9:07 12:04 3:05 2:06 14:40 1:17 2:26 12:33 7:34 10:41 11:16 5:03 13:20 14:57 7:13 4:47 0:54 5:56 0:00 9:24 7:54
3 4 6 5 5 12 7 13 13 6 3 4 10 8 1 12 4 7 10 8 9 6 3 10 11 4 8 10 2 5 14 10 7 13 9 5 9 12 13 5 1 12 8 7 8 8 7 10 12 7 1 5 10 5 8 -
74 80 67 17 68 73 9 75 77 92 69 9 40 60 10 65 -1 57 81 37 90 25 19 48 49 -2 56 76 26 66 82 88 70 88 42 50 80 75 60 80 95 41 54 61 77 70 75 37 80 74 61 36 49 42 46 -
1:27 2:06 3:11 2:25 2:09 6:17 1:34 6:43 6:22 3:24 1:26 1:49 5:44 4:36 0:06 5:40 1:18 1:54 5:07 3:52 3:40 2:49 0:58 5:47 5:30 1:27 3:19 3:59 0:11 1:57 4:02 6:04 2:50 5:31 5:02 1:59 5:11 5:28 8:30 1:52 0:13 7:00 2:42 3:53 4:15 3:44 4:37 5:19 5:30 3:44 0:16 1:29 4:38 1:41 3:31 -
Kickoff Punt Punt Interception Punt Kickoff Punt Punt Fumble Punt Punt Interception Interception Kickoff Interception Kickoff Blocked Punt Kickoff Kickoff Punt Kickoff Kickoff Interception Kickoff Punt Fumble Punt Kickoff Kickoff Punt Kickoff Kickoff Punt Punt Punt Punt Kickoff Kickoff Punt Punt Interception Kickoff Punt Missed FG Kickoff Kickoff Punt Punt Kickoff Kickoff Punt Kickoff Downs Kickoff Punt -
@ San Diego @ New Orleans @ New Orleans @ New Orleans @ New Orleans Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Tampa Bay @ Minnesota @ Minnesota @ Minnesota @ Minnesota St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis St. Louis
4 2 2 3 4 1 1 OT 1 2 2 3 1 2 2 3 4
14:56 9:55 2:13 3:06 7:51 6:50 1:01 4:04 8:47 14:06 0:03 2:49 10:02 4:43 0:11 12:20 3:41
11 4 10 15 11 7 9 11 12 5 9 7 8 5 2 5 6
72 74 77 69 73 26 72 55 74 22 43 51 55 55 8 75 80
5:46 2:10 3:57 9:15 5:04 3:40 3:46 6:23 6:13 1:20 3:52 3:29 2:52 2:28 0:21 2:40 2:58
Punt Kickoff Kickoff Punt Kickoff Punt Punt Punt Kickoff Kickoff Fumble Punt Punt Downs Kickoff Kickoff Kickoff
M. Jenkins 62yd. pass from M. Ryan M. Turner 66 yd. run M. Turner 5 yd. run J. Elam 50 yd. Field Goal J. Norwood 10 yd. run J. Elam 25 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 32 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 27 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 24 yd. Field Goal M. Turner 4 yd. run R. White 70 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Elam 27 yd. Field Goal M. Turner 1 yd. run M. Turner 2 yd. run C. Houston 10 yd. interception return J. Elam 33 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 44 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 44 yd. Field Goal J. Peelle 1 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Elam 42 yd. Field Goal R. White 22 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Elam 41 yd. Field Goal M. Turner 2 yd. run J. Elam 29 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 48 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 32 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 41 yd. Field Goal R. White 3 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Elam 48 yd. Field Goal R. White 55 yd. pass from M. Ryan R. White 8 yd. pass from M. Ryan M. Jenkins 37 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Norwood 12 yd. run M. Jenkins 27 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Elam 48 yd. Field Goal R. White 16 yd. pass from M. Ryan M. Turner 2 yd. run J. Elam 22 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 27 yd. Field Goal J. Norwood 67 yd. pass from M. Ryan C. Jackson 95 yd. interception return J. Elam 46 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 36 yd. Field Goal M. Turner 9 yd. run M. Turner 28 yd. run J. Elam 23 yd. Field Goal H. Douglas 7 yd. run M. Turner 1 yd. run M. Turner 4 yd. run M. Turner 1 yd. run H. Douglas 61 yd. punt return M. Turner 16 yd. run J. Elam 35 yd. Field Goal J. Elam 40 yd. Field Goal J. Peelle 18 yd. pass from M. Ryan Penalty on P. Rivers enforced in end zone for a safety H. Douglas 5 yd. pass from M. Ryan M. Turner 5 yd. run B. Finneran 2 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Elam 23 yd. Field Goal M. Ryan 12 yd. run J. Elam 26 yd. Field Goal M. Turner 1 yd. run J. Elam 34 yd. Field Goal M. Turner 1 yd. run J. Norwood 8 yd. pass from M. Ryan J. Elam 22 yd. Field Goal J. Blalock fumble recovery in end zone J. Elam 39 yd. Field Goah M. Turner 9 yd. run J. Norwood 8 yd. run R. White 18 yd. pass from M. Ryan 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/Att
DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL
7 4 7 4 6 6 3 5 7 5 8 5 5 4 5 6
3 3 0 3 1 0 0 2 4 2 5 3 4 2 3 4
1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 1 0 2 3
6 3 7 3 5 6 3 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3
123 61 130 62 110 121 47 123 127 159 86 75 147 72 40 53
20.5 20.3 18.6 20.7 22.0 20.2 15.7 24.6 25.4 31.8 17.2 18.8 36.8 18.0 13.3 17.7
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 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0
TOTALS
87
39
16
71
1,536
21.6
0
0
0/0
2008 TEAM HIGHS & LOWS MOST POINTS
FEWEST POINTS
Falcons:
45
vs. Carolina 11/23
Falcons:
9
(2 times) at Carolina 9/28
Opponents:
29
at New Orleans 12/7
Opponents:
0
at Oakland 11/2
MOST POINTS IN A HALF
FEWEST POINTS IN A HALF
Falcons:
24
(two times) at Oakland 11/2
Falcons:
3
at Tampa Bay 9/14
Opponents:
17
at Tampa Bay 9/14
Opponents:
0
at Oakland 11/2
MOST FIRST DOWNS
FEWEST FIRST DOWNS
Falcons:
30
at Oakland 11/2
Falcons:
14
at Tampa Bay 9/14
Opponents:
25
vs. New Orleans 11/9
Opponents:
3
at Oakland 11/2
MOST RUSHING YARDS
FEWEST RUSHING YARDS
Falcons:
318
vs. Detroit 9/7 (franchise-high)
Falcons:
75
vs. Chicago 10/12
Opponents:
202
vs. St. Louis 12/28
Opponents:
62
vs. Detroit 9/7
M O S T R U S H I N G AT T E M P T S
F E W E S T R U S H I N G AT T E M P T S
Falcons:
57
at Oakland 11/2
Falcons:
23
at Carolina 9/28
Opponents
37
vs. St. Louis 12/28
Opponents:
11
at Oakland 11/2
MOST PASSING YARDS
FEWEST PASSING YARDS
Falcons:
315
at New Orleans 12/7
Falcons:
134
at Minnesota 12/21
Opponents:
416
vs. New Orleans 11/9
Opponents:
31
at Oakland 11/2
M O S T P A S S AT T E M P T S
F E W E S T P A S S AT T E M P T S
Falcons:
44
at Philadelphia 10/26
Falcons:
13
vs. Detroit 9/7
Opponents:
58
vs. New Orleans 11/9
Opponents:
19
at Oakland 11/2
MOST PASS COMPLETIONS
FEWEST PASS COMPLETIONS
Falcons:
23
at Philadelphia 10/26
Falcons:
9
vs. Detroit 9/7
Opponents:
31
vs. New Orleans 11/9
Opponents:
6
at Oakland 11/2
MOST SACKS
FEWEST SACKS
Falcons:
4
(2 times) vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
Falcons:
0
(2 times) at New Orleans 12/7
Opponents:
4
at Tampa Bay 9/14
Opponents:
0
(7 times) at New Orleans 12/7
M O S T T O TA L N E T Y A R D S
F E W E S T T O TA L N E T Y A R D S
Falcons:
474
vs. Detroit 9/7
Falcons:
222
at Minnesota 12/21
Opponents:
521
vs. New Orleans 11/9
Opponents:
77
at Oakland 11/2
MOST TIME OF POSSESSION
FEWEST TIME OF POSSESSION
Falcons:
45:15
at Oakland 11/2
Falcons:
24:47
vs. St. Louis 12/28
Opponents:
34:46
vs. Tampa Bay 12/14 OT
Opponents:
14:45
at Oakland 11/2
MOST INTERCEPTIONS
FEWEST INTERCEPTIONS
Falcons:
3
(2 times) vs. New Orleans 11/9
Falcons:
0
(10 times) at Minnesota 12/21
Opponents:
2
(3 times) vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
Opponents:
0
(7 times) at Minnesota 12/21
MOST PENALTIES (No.)
FEWEST PENALTIES (No.)
Falcons:
at Tampa Bay 9/14
Falcons:
2
(2 times) vs. New Orleans 11/9
(3 times) vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
Opponents:
3
(3 times) vs. St. Louis 12/28
Opponents:
8 11
MOST YARDS PENALIZED
FEWEST YARDS PENALIZED
Falcons:
70
at Minnesota 12/21
Falcons:
14
vs. St. Louis 12/28
Opponents:
97
at Green Bay 10/5
Opponents:
13
vs. Kansas City 9/21
2008 individual highs MOST YARDS RUSHING
FALCONS TOP PERFORMANCES RUSHING YARDS
Falcons:
220
Michael Turner (franchise-high)
vs. Detroit 9/7
Opponents:
167
Brian Westbrook
220
Michael Turner (franchise-high) vs. Detroit 9/7
at Philadelphia 10/26
208
Michael Turner
vs. St. Louis 12/28
152
Michael Turner
vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
M O S T R U S H I N G AT T E M P T S
139
Michael Turner
at Oakland 11/2
Falcons:
32
Michael Turner
vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
121
Michael Turner
at Green Bay 10/5
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
Opponents:
422
Drew Brees
at New Orleans 12/7 vs. New Orleans 11/9
R U S H I N G AT T E M P T S 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
25
Michael Turner
vs. St. Louis 12/28
LONGEST RUSH 70
Michael Turner
66T
Michael Turner
vs. St. Louis 12/28 vs. Detroit 9/7
M O S T P A S S I N G AT T E M P T S
45
Jerious Norwood
vs. St. Louis 12/28
Falcons:
44
Matt Ryan
at Philadelphia 10/26
44
Jerious Norwood
vs. Kansas City 9/21
Opponents:
58
Drew Brees
vs. New Orleans 11/9
40
Jerious Norwood
at Carolina 9/28
38
Michael Turner
vs. Kansas City 9/21
33
Harry Douglas
at Tampa Bay 9/14
MOST COMPLETIONS Falcons:
24
Matt Ryan
Opponents:
31
Drew Brees
at New Orleans 12/7 vs. New Orleans 11/9
RECEPTIONS 10
Roddy White
at New Orleans 12/7
HIGHEST COMPLETION PCT. (min. 15 att.)
9
Roddy White
vs. Chicago 10/12
Falcons:
at Oakland 11/2
8
Roddy White
at Philadelphia 10/26
vs. Detroit 9/7
8
Roddy White
at Green Bay 10/5
Opponents:
77.3 72.7
Matt Ryan Jon Kitna
RECEIVING YARDS MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES
164
Roddy White
at New Orleans 12/7
Falcons:
2
Matt Ryan (5 times)
at San Diego 11/30
132
Roddy White
at Green Bay 10/5
Opponents:
3
Aaron Rodgers
at Green Bay 10/5
119
Roddy White
vs. Kansas City 9/21
113
Roddy White
at Philadelphia 10/26
MOST RECEPTIONS Falcons: Opponents:
10 8
Roddy White Antonio Bryant
at New Orleans 12/7 vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
LONGEST RECEPTION 70T 69 67T
MOST RECEIVING YARDS Falcons:
164
Roddy White
Opponents:
168
Steve Smith
at New Orleans 12/7 vs. Carolina 11/23
Roddy White
vs. Kansas City 9/21
Harry Douglas
vs. Carolina 11/23
Jerious Norwood
vs. New Orleans 11/9
PASSING YARDS 315
Matt Ryan
at New Orleans 12/7
301
Matt Ryan
vs. Chicago 10/12
MOST TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
277
Matt Ryan
at Philadelphia 10/26
Falcons:
2
Michael Jenkins (2 times)
259
Matt Ryan
vs. Carolina 11/23
Opponents:
1
Antonio Bryant
at Oakland 11/2 vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
P A S S I N G AT T E M P T S MOST POINTS
44
Matt Ryan
at Philadelphia 10/26
Falcons:
24
Michael Turner
41
Matt Ryan
at Carolina 9/28
Opponents:
12
(3 times) Steven Jackson
vs. Carolina 11/23 vs. St. Louis 12/28
MOST SACKS Falcons:
3.0
John Abraham (3 times)
Opponents:
2.0
Gaines Adams
PASS COMPLETIONS 24
Matt Ryan
at New Orleans 12/7
23
Matt Ryan
at Philadelphia 10/26
vs. Tampa Bay 12/14 at Tampa Bay 9/14
LONGEST KICKOFF RETURn 92
Jerious Norwood
vs. St. Louis 12/28
MOST INTERCEPTIONS
85
Jerious Norwood
vs. Chicago 10/12
Falcons:
1
Domonique Foxworth
54
Jerious Norwood
at Green Bay 10/5
Opponents:
1
(three times) Jonathan Wade vs. St. Louis 12/284
vs. Tampa Bay 12/14
LONGEST FIELD GOAL 50
Jason Elam
vs. Detroit 9/7
THE FALCONS RECORD WHEN... 2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
5-Year Total L T
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
L
W
Overall Record Home Away
11 7 4
5 1 4
4 2 1
12 5 7
7 3 4
9 5 4
8 4 4
8 4 4
11 7 4
5 1 4
41 23 17
39 16 23
0 0 0
By Month September October November December January
2 2 4 3 0
2 1 1 1 0
1 0 2 1 0
3 3 2 4 0
2 3 0 2 0
1 1 4 3 0
2 3 2 1 0
1 1 2 3 1
3 3 3 2 0
0 2 0 2 1
10 11 11 9 0
7 8 9 13 2
0 0 0 0 0
vs. AFC South East North West
3 0 0 0 3
1 0 0 0 1
1 1 0 0 0
3 3 0 0 0
2 0 0 2 0
2 0 0 2 0
3 0 3 0 0
1 0 1 0 0
3 0 0 0 3
1 0 0 0 1
12 1 3 2 6
8 3 1 2 2
0 0 0 0 0
vs. NFC South East North West
6 3 0 4 1
4 3 1 0 0
3 1 0 0 2
9 5 1 1 2
5 3 1 0 1
6 3 3 1 0
5 2 1 2 0
7 4 0 2 1
8 4 1 0 3
4 2 0 1 1
27 13 3 6 7
30 17 5 5 4
0 0 0 0 0
3 8 3 8 10 0 0 0
3 2 3 2 5 0 1 0
1 3 1 3 4 0 0 0
4 8 3 9 9 3 1 0
3 4 4 3 7 0 1 0
1 7 2 7 8 1 0 0
1 7 2 6 5 3 0 0
3 5 4 4 7 1 0 1
3 8 4 7 10 1 0 0
2 3 3 2 5 0 0 0
11 30 14 27 36 4 1 0
13 25 15 24 34 5 2 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Following a win Following a loss
5 5
5 0
1 3
2 9
4 2
4 5
3 4
3 3
7 3
4 1
20 17
18 18
0 0
Falcons score on first drive Opp. score on first drive Falcons score first Opp. score first
8 0 11 0
0 3 1 4
1 2 2 2
2 2 3 9
2 5 4 3
1 3 2 7
5 1 7 1
1 3 3 5
5 1 9 2
2 1 3 2
21 9 33 8
6 12 12 27
0 0 0 0
Leading at halftime Tied at halftime Trailing at halftime Ahead going into 4th quarter Tied going into 4th quarter Trailing going into 4th quarter
11 0 0 10 0 1
1 0 4 1 0 4
2 1 1 2 0 1
2 2 8 1 0 11
3 0 4 7 0 0
2 1 6 0 0 9
8 0 0 7 1 0
1 1 6 1 1 6
9 1 1 9 2 0
1 0 4 0 3 2
33 2 6 35 3 2
7 4 28 3 4 32
0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3
0 2
1 2
1 4
2 1
0 3
2 4
3 4
5 6
1 2
13 16
5 15
0 0
10 6
2 5
4 1
2 11
5 2
1 7
6 2
4 6
9 4
1 4
34 15
10 33
0 0
5 2 4
0 1 4
4 0 0
3 2 7
7 0 0
1 4 4
4 3 1
3 0 5
6 3 2
0 1 4
26 8 7
7 8 24
0 0 0
10 1 10 1
3 2 2 3
2 2 2 2
5 7 1 10
6 1 7 0
6 3 2 7
7 1 8 0
4 4 3 5
10 1 8 3
2 3 1 4
35 6 35 6
20 19 9 29
0 0 0 0
Time of Poss. 30:00+ Time of Poss. -30:00
6 5
2 3
3 1
6 6
6 1
2 7
5 3
3 5
6 5
2 3
26 15
15 24
0 0
Falcons 100-yard rusher Falcons 100-yard receiver Falcons 300-yard passer
8 4 1
0 3 1
1 0 0
0 5 2
4 1 0
2 1 0
5 1 0
0 2 1
6 2 0
1 0 0
24 8 1
3 11 4
0 0 0
Opp. 100-yard rusher Opp. 100-yard receiver Opp. 300-yard passer
3 5 2
3 1 0
0 3 1
4 3 4
1 3 1
4 3 3
1 1 0
7 4 1
2 5 3
2 0 0
7 17 7
20 11 8
0 0 0
Playing Conditions On grass On Turf Outdoors Indoors Day Night Temp. 85 or higher Temp. 32 or lower
Outcome 3 points or less Outcome 7 points or less Scoring 20 or more points Allowing 20 or more points + turnover margin Even turnover margin - turnover margin Falcons Falcons Falcons Falcons
300+ total offense yards -300 total offense yards 30+ rushing attempts -30 rushing attempts
2008 falcons weekly team rankings
NFC
NFL OFFENSE OVERALL Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
3/474.0 9/354.0 9/362.0 10/338.5 8/344.8 8/350.0 10/347.9 7/361.0 6/361.0 7/361.3 6/364.1 6/362.8 5/366.7 5/367.1 6/357.5 6/361.2
RUSH
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
PASS
1/318.0 24T/156.0 3/211.3 26/142.5 1/203.0 23/159.0 1/181.8 26/156.8 2/180.6 25/164.2 2/163.0 21/187.0 BYE WEEK 3/150.7 21/197.1 1/163.4 22/197.6 2/157.8 19/203.2 2/153.4 14/207.9 2/151.5 14/212.5 2/150.7 14/212.1 2/146.7 13/220.0 1t/148.7 13/218.4 5/145.3 14/121.1 2/152.7 14/208.5
OVERALL
RUSH
15/308.0 17/309.5 15/306.7 20/332.3 23/347.4 25/349.7
5/62.0 27T/246.0 20/113.0 18/196.5 23/136.7 10/170.0 23/131.3 13/201.0 21/125.8 22/221.6 20/118.0 24/231.7 BYE WEEK 23/128.6 24/232.9 22/120.9 16/205.0 21/119.1 22/228.4 22/119.6 22/226.4 21/120.9 23/230.7 21/116.7 23/222.4 22/121.8 23/223.0 22/120.2 23/223.2 21/122.5 22/221.3 25/127.5 21/220.4
25/361.4 16/325.9 23/347.6 23/346.0 24/351.6 22/339.1 22/344.8 23/343.4 24/343.9 24/347.9
OVERALL
PASS Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
3/474.0 6/354.0 7/362.0 8/338.5 7/344.8 6/350.0 7/347.9 5/361.0 4/361.0 5/361.3 4/364.1 4/362.8 3/366.7 3/367.1 3/357.5 3/361.2
RUSH
DEFENSE
PASS
1/318.0 13/156.0 1/211.5 14/142.5 1/203.0 14/159.0 1/181.8 16/156.8 2/180.6 14/164.2 2/163.0 13/187.0 BYE WEEK 3/1450.7 13/197.1 1/163.4 14/197.6 2/157.8 11/203.2 2/153.4 7/207.9 2/151.5 7/212.5 2/150.7 7/212.1 2/146.7 7/220.0 1t/148.7 7/218.4 4/145.3 7/121.1 2/152.7 8/208.5
OVERALL 7/308.0 8/309.5 9/306.7 11/332.3 11/347.4 12/349.7 13/361.4 9/325.9 12/347.6 12/346.0 13/351.6 12/339.1 12/344.8 12/343.4 13/343.9 13/347.9
RUSH
PASS
3/62.0 14/246.0 11/113.0 7/196.5 13/136.7 3/170.0 13/131.3 4/201.0 11/125.8 10/221.6 11/118.0 13/231.7 BYE WEEK 13/128.6 11/232.9 13/120.9 8/205.0 12/119.1 10/228.4 13/119.6 10/226.4 12/120.9 12/230.7 12/116.7 12/222.4 13/121.8 11/223.0 13/120.2 11/223.2 12/122.5 11/221.3 13/127.5 11/220.4
2008 TURNOVER TABLE ---TAKEAWAYS--OPPONENT DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
---GIVEAWAYS---
FUMBLES 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
INT 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
TOTAL 1 1 3 0 1 1 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 0
FUMBLES 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 1 0 1
INT 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2
TOTAL 0 2 1 0 1 1 3 1 0 1 1 3 1 3 0 3
DIFFERENCE +1 -1 +2 0 0 0 -2 +1 +3 -1 -1 -3 -1 -2 +4 -3
8
10
18
10
11
21
-3
TAKEWAYS
RESULT W, 34-21 L, 24-9 W, 38-14 L, 24-9 W, 27-24 W, 22-20 L, 27-14 W, 24-0 W, 34-20 L, 24-20 W, 45-28 W, 22-16 L, 29-25 W, 13-10 W, 24-17 W, 31-27
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
BIG PLAYS FALCONS COMPLETIONS OVER 20 YARDS YDS 70T 69 67T 62T 59 55T 46 47 41 38 37 37T 37 32 31 30 30 30 28 27 27T 26 26 26 26 26 26 25 23 23 23 22 22 22 22 22 22T 22 21 21 21 21 20 20
RECEIVER R. White H. Douglas J. Norwood M. Jenkins R. White R. White R. White H. Douglas M. Jenkins R. White R. White M. Jenkins R. White M. Jenkins M. Jenkins R. White R. White J. Norwood H. Douglas J. Snelling M. Jenkins J. Rader M. Jenkins R. White M. Jenkins R. White R. White R. White M. Jenkins R. White L. Robinson J. Norwood R. White M. Jenkins M. Jenkins H. Douglas R. White R. White M. Jenkins J. Norwood M. Jenkins H. Douglas J. Norwood J. Norwood
PASSER M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan M. Ryan
QTR 1 4 4 1 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 2 1 2 3 2 3 4 3 2 3 1 2 4 1 3 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 4 3 4 3
DATE 9/21 11/23 11/9 9/7 12/7 10/26 9/7 10/12 12/28 11/30 11/16 11/2 10/5 11/9 10/5 12/14 11/23 9/21 12/7 11/23 11/2 12/14 12/14 12/7 10/12 10/12 10/5 11/30 12/14 9/28 9/14 12/28 12/28 9/21 11/30 10/12 10/5 9/28 12/7 11/9 10/26 9/14 10/26 10/26
OPP KC CAR NO DET @NO @PHI DET CHI StL @SD DEN @OAK @GB NO @GB TB CAR KC @NO CAR @OAK TB TB @NO CHI CHI @GB @SD TB @CAR @TB StL StL @MIN @SD CHI @GB @CAR @NO NO @PHI @TB @PHI @PHI
FALCONS RUSHES OVER 15 YARDS YDS 70 66T 45 44 40 38 33 29 28T 26 23 22 22 22 21 20 19 18 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 16T 16 16 16 16 15 15 15 15
RUSHER M. Turner M. Turner J. Norwood J. Norwood J. Norwood M. Turner H. Douglas M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner J. Norwood M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner H. Douglas M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Ryan M. Turner M. Turner J. Norwood M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Turner M. Ryan M. Turner
QTR 4 1 4 4 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 3 3 1 3 2 1 1 1 3 OT 1 4 1 4 2 4 4 3 2 3 2 3 3 4
DATE 12/28 9/7 12/28 9/21 9/28 9/21 9/14 9/7 11/16 12/7 10/12 12/14 10/26 10/5 10/12 11/9 11/23 12/14 10/5 12/28 12/14 10/26 10/5 9/14 9/7 9/7 11/23 11/23 11/16 11/2 9/7 12/14 11/30 9/21 9/7
OPP StL DET StL KC @CAR KC @TB DET DEN @NO CHI TB @PHI @GB CHI NO CAR TB @GB StL TB @PHI @GB @TB DET DET CAR CAR DEN @OAK DET TB @SD KC DET
OPPONENTS COMPLETIONS OVER 20 YARDS YDS 56T 48 47 44T 41 38 37 36 36 36 36T 36 33 32T 31 31 30 29 27 27 25 25T 23 23 23 22 22 22 22 21 21T 21 21 21 21 21 21T 21 21 20 20T 20 20 20 20 20
RECEIVER S. Smith M. Colston B. Marshall D. Driver S. Smith C. Johnson T. Humphrey S. Jackson D. Henderson G. Jennings M. Muhammad J. Gilmore T. Holt L. Moore V. Shiancoe S. Smith D. Jackson J. Klopfenstein S. Smith C. Buckhalter K. Curtis G. Jennings B. Miller B. Miller M. Muhammad A. Bryant S. Smith D. Jackson G. Olsen V. Shiancoe V. Shiancoe J. Shockey D. Rosario M. Colston L. Smith M. Muhammad R. Williams C. Johnson D. Campbell B. Wade A. Bryant M. Clayton D. Henderson D. Jackson B. Celek G. Jennings
PASSER QTR J. Delhomme 2 D. Brees 4 J. Cutler 4 A. Rodgers 2 J. Delhomme 3 J. Kitna 2 A. Rodgers 4 M. Bulger 3 D. Brees 4 A. Rodgers 4 J. Delhomme 4 B. Griese 4 M. Bulger 4 D. Brees 4 T. Jackson 4 J. Delhomme 2 D. McNabb 2 M. Bulger 4 J. Delhomme 4 D. McNabb 3 D. McNabb 3 A. Rodgers 4 D. Brees 4 D. Brees 4 J. Delhomme 1 B. Griese 2 J. Delhomme 3 D. McNabb 2 K. Orton 4 T. Jackson 3 T. Jackson 1 D. Brees 2 J. Delhomme 4 D. Brees 4 D. McNabb 3 J. Delhomme 1 J. Kitna 2 J. Kitna 1 J. Kitna 2 T. Jackson 1 B. Griese 2 B. Griese 2 D. Brees 4 D. McNabb 2 D. McNabb 2 A. Rodgers 3
DATE 9/28 11/9 11/16 10/5 11/23 9/7 10/5 12/28 12/7 10/5 9/28 9/14 12/28 11/9 12/21 11/23 10/26 12/28 11/23 10/26 10/26 10/5 11/9 11/9 9/28 12/14 11/23 10/26 10/12 12/21 12/21 12/7 11/23 11/9 10/26 9/28 9/7 9/7 9/7 12/21 12/14 12/14 11/9 10/26 10/26 10/5
OPP @CAR NO DEN @GB CAR DET @GB StL @NO @GB @CAR @TB StL NO @MIN CAR @PHI StL CAR @PHI @PHI @GB NO NO @CAR TB CAR @PHI CHI @MIN @MIN @NO CAR NO @PHI @CAR DET DET DET @MIN TB TB NO @PHI @PHI @GB
OPPONENTS RUSHES OVER 15 YARDS YDS 68T 48 43 39T 36 30 29 28 24 23 22 21 21 20 20 20 18 18 18 18 17 17T 16 16T 16 15
RUSHER E. Graham L. Johnson R. Bush B. Westbrook S. Jackson D. Henderson T. Jackson J. Hester J. Russell S. Jackson J. Russell D. Williams D. Williams B. Westbrook B. Westbrook M. Forte T. Jackson P. Thomas P. Thomas B. Westbrook A. Peterson W. Dunn D. Williams B. Westbrook J. Stewart P. Pope
QTR 4 3 1 4 1 2 2 4 4 2 4 3 3 4 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 4 3 2 3
DATE 9/14 9/21 12/7 10/26 12/28 11/9 12/21 11/30 11/2 12/28 11/2 11/23 9/28 10/26 10/26 10/12 12/21 12/7 12/7 10/26 12/21 9/14 11/23 10/26 9/28 11/16
OPP @TB KC @NO @PHI StL NO @MIN @SD @OAK StL @OAK CAR @CAR @PHI @PHI CHI @MIN @NO @NO @PHI @MIN @TB CAR @PHI @CAR DEN
2008 GAME-BY-GAME rushing Game
SCORE Atl
DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
Opp
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
391
325
HARRY DOUGLAS Att Yds Avg LG TD
Att
OVIE MUGHELLI Yds Avg LG TD
1 1 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0
7 7.0 7 33 33.0 33 -8 -8.0 -8 0 0.0 0 18 18.0 18 -11 -11.0 -11 10 5.0 6 2 2.0 2 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 3 1.5 7T 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 11 11.0 11 4 4.0 4 0 0.0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 0 0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12
69 5.75 33
1
5
16
3.2
9
0
JERIOUS NORWOOD Att 14 6 11 3 4 3 4 14 6 4 4 4 5 4 6 3 95
Yds
Avg
LG TD Att
93 6.6 17 18 3.0 6 75 6.8 44 51 17.0 40 12 3.0 5 31 10.3 21 5 1.3 4 63 4.8 12T 17 2.8 8 18 4.5 12 11 2.8 8 18 4.5 10 18 3.6 11 -7 -1.7 2 10 1.7 8 56 18.7 45 489
5.1
45
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4
5 6 1 2 4 1 1 4 2 5 3 4 4 6 3 4 55
2008 GAME-BY-GAME rushing Game
SCORE Atl
DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
Opp
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
391
325
JASON SNELLING Att Yds Avg LG TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 1 0 1 2 0 3 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 47 0 -3 0 1 5 0 12 0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.9 0.0 -3.0 0.0 1.0 2.5 0.0 4.0 0.0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 -3 0 1 3 0 8 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15
62
4.1
21
0
MICHAEL TURNER Att Yds Avg LG TD 22 14 23 18 26 25 17 30 27 25 24 31 18 32 19 25
220 10.0 66T 42 3.0 17 104 4.5 38 56 3.1 10 121 4.7 22 54 2.2 23 58 3.4 22 139 4.5 16 96 3.6 20 81 3.2 28T 117 4.9 19 120 3.9 15 61 3.4 26 152 4.8 22 70 3.7 13 208 8.3 70
376 1,699
4.5
2 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 4 0 1 1 1 1
70 16
Att
RODDY WHITE Yds Avg LG TD
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0 2 0 0 0 0 0 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
2
4
2.0
2
0
MATT RYAN Yds Avg LG TD -2 -0.4 2 10 1.7 7 15 15.0 15 11 5.5 6 16 4.0 17 1 1.0 1 4 4.0 4 1 0.3 3 -2 -1.0 -1 18 3.6 9 2 0.7 2 -3 -0.7 1 13 3.3 12T 19 3.2 9 2 0.7 4 -1 -0.2 1 104
1.9
22
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
2008 GAME-BY-GAME PASSING Game DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
Opp
MATT RYAN Att Comp Comp% Gross Net Long TD Int Rate
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
13 33 18 41 26 30 44 22 23 33 27 23 33 23 24 21
391
325
SCORE Atl
9 13 12 21 16 22 23 17 16 20 17 17 24 15 13 10
434 265
69.2 39.4 66.7 51.2 61.5 73.3 52.3 77.3 69.6 60.6 63.0 73.9 72.7 65.2 54.2 47.6 61.1
161 158 192 158 194 301 277 220 248 250 259 207 315 206 124 160
156 129 192 150 194 301 258 201 248 250 259 207 315 198 134 154
62T 23 70T 23 37 47 55T 37T 67T 37 69 38 59 30 22 41
1 0 1 0 2 1 2 2 2 0 0 2 1 0 1 1
0 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2
CHRIS REDMAN Att Comp Comp% Gross Net Long TD Int Rate
137.0 29.6 120.6 60.8 94.1 116.1 68.1 138.4 134.0 71.5 94.5 130.2 99.9 57.5 84.4 49.8
3,440 3,336 70T 16 11 87.7
DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID DID 0
0
0.0
0
NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT
PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY
0
0
0
0
0.0
2008 GAME-BY-GAME rECEIVING Game
SCORE Atl
DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL TOTALS
Game
TOTALS
Game
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
391
325
23
Opp
OVIE MUGHELLI Rec Yds Avg LG TD
TOTALS
0 2 2 2 0 5 0 1 0 0 4 3 2 0 1 1
0 34 10 8 0 96 0 12 0 0 92 13 45 0 4 6
0.0 17.0 5.0 4.0 0.0 19.2 0.0 12.0 0.0 0.0 23.0 4.3 22.5 0.0 4.0 6.0
0 21 6 5 0 47 0 12 0 0 69 5T 28 0 4 6
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
320 13.9 69
1
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0
3 6 0 0 0 0 2 23 0 22 0 0 0 1 0 0
3.0 6.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 11.5 0.0 11.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0
3 6 0 0 0 0 2 18 0 14 0 0 0 1 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
391
325
8
57
7.1
18
0
SCORE Atl
DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL
HARRY DOUGLAS Rec Yds Avg LG TD
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
SCORE Atl
DET @TB KC @CAR @GB CHI @PHI @OAK NO DEN CAR @SD @NO TB @MIN STL
Opp
Opp
JASON SNELLING Rec Yds Avg LG TD
BRIAN FINNERAN Rec Yds Avg LG TD 0 0 0 2 0 3 3 0 1 4 1 2 2 1 1 1 21
0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 10 5.0 5 0 0.0 0 29 9.7 13 20 6.7 8 0 0.0 0 6 6.0 6 44 11.0 14 9 9.0 9 14 7.0 7 8 4.0 6 4 4.0 4 13 13.0 13 12 12.0 12 169
8.0
14
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
1
3
JERIOUS NORWOOD Rec Yds Avg LG TD 2 1 1 4 3 1 5 2 2 3 1 2 4 2 2 1 36
6 8 30 1 9 6 55 20 88 25 5 8 20 24 11 22 338
3.0 8.0 30.0 0.3 3.0 6.0 11.0 10.0 44.0 8.3 5.0 4.0 5.0 12.0 5.5 22.0
3 8 30 7 7 6 20 14 67T 11 5 8 9 17 8 22
BEN HARTSOCK MICHAEL JENKINS Rec Yds Avg LG TD Rec Yds Avg LG TD
26
8.7
17
0
1 0 1 0 2 0 1 3 1 0 0 3 1 1 1 0
9.4 64T 2
15
13 0 7 0 15 0 17 33 14 0 0 38 9 5 8 0
13.0 0.0 7.0 0.0 7.5 0.0 17.0 11.0 14.0 0.0 0.0 12.7 9.0 5.0 13.0 0.0
13 0 7 0 14 0 17 16 14 0 0 18T 9 5 8 0
62.0 0.0 9.5 10.7 12.7 14.5 16.7 32.0 12.0 11.0 12.0 22.0 13.8 18.3 15.3 18.0
62T 0 16 12 31 26 21 37T 32 15 19 22 21 26 22 41
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
777 15.5 62T 3
0 4 1
0 45 7
159 10.6 18T 2
5
52 10.4 23
0.0 0 0 11.3 23 0 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 0
ERIC WEEMS RODDY WHITE Rec Yds Avg LG TD Rec Yds Avg LG TD
21 24 14 24 24 20 27 0 20 24 28 16 29 10 17 27
0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 11 0 0 20 12 0 2 31 0 0 0 13 0
0.0 0.0 0.0 11.0 0.0 0.0 10.0 12.0 0.0 2.0 15.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 13.0 0.0
0 0 0 11 0 0 18 12 0 2 27 0 0 0 13 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
6 6.0 6 6 6.0 6 0 0.0 0 -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 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 30 15.0 18 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
4 0 0 0 0 0
4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
4 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
391
325
8
89
11.1
27
0
6
41
0
1
4
4.0
4
0
18
50
62 0 19 32 38 58 50 64 72 55 48 22 69 55 61 72
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
34 9 38 9 27 22 14 24 34 20 45 22 25 13 24 31
6.8
1 0 2 3 3 4 3 2 6 5 4 1 5 3 4 4
JUSTIN PEELLE LAURENT ROBINSON Rec Yds Avg LG TD Rec Yds Avg LG TD
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MICHAEL TURNER Rec Yds Avg LG TD
17 17.0 17 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 7 7.0 7 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 2.0 2 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
2 4 5 7 8 9 8 5 5 5 4 6 10 4 3 3
54 59 119 90 132 112 113 54 68 102 70 112 164 61 24 48
27.0 14.8 23.8 12.9 16.5 12.4 14.1 10.8 13.6 20.4 17.5 18.7 16.4 15.3 8.0 16.0
46 19 70T 23 37 26 55T 17 16T 37 30 38 59 30 12 22
0 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
88 1,382 15.7 70T 7
2008 GAME-BY-GAME SACKS SACKS (NUMBER, YARDS) PLAYER
DE John Abraham
9/7
9/14
DET
@TB
3.0/16.0 1.0/5.0
DT Jonathan Babineaux
9/21
9/28
KC
@CAR
2.0/11.0
10/5
10/12
@GB
CHI
10/26
11/02
@PHI @OAK
1.0/5.0
11/09
11/16
NO
DEN
3.0/16.0 1.0/6.0
1.0/8.0
11/23
11/30
12/7
CAR
@SD
@NO
1.0/8.0
0.5/4.5
1.0/8.0
DT Grady Jackson
12/21
12/28
TB
@MIN
STL
3.0/33.0
1.0/5.0
3.5/26.5 1.0/10.0
1.0/4.0
LB Curtis Lofton
2.0/12.0
1.0/6.0
2.0/10.0
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
DE Kroy Biermann
1.0/4.0 1.0/8.0
4.0/25.0
1.0/10.0
2.0/13.0
1.0/3.0
DT Kindal Moorehead
1.0/29.0
LB Stephen Nicholas
TEAM TOTALS
TOTALS
16.5/109.5
1.5/10.5
1.0/4.0
DE Jamaal Anderson
12/14
1.0/29.0 1.0/6.0
3.0/16.0 2.0/13.0 2.0/11.0 0.0/0.0 2.0/9.0 1.0/4.0 2.0/13.0 4.0/21.0 1.0/6.0 1.0/8.0
3.0/21.0 3.0/18.0 0.0/0.0
1.0/6.0
4.0/43.0 3.0/38.0 3.0/24.0 34.0/245.0
2008 GAME-BY-GAME INTERCEPTIONS INTERCEPTIONS (NUMBER, YARDS) PLAYER
S Lawyer Milloy
9/7
9/14
9/21
DET
@TB
KC
9/28
10/5
@CAR @GB
10/12 CHI
10/26
11/2
11/9
11/16
11/23
11/30
12/7
12/14
12/21
@PHI @OAK NO
DEN
CAR
@SD
@NO
TB
@MIN
STL
1/38
1/38
S Erik Coleman
1/16
CB Brent Grimes
1/25
CB Chris Houston
1/10
1/0
1/32
3/48 1/25
1/0
LB Michael Boley
2/10
1/16
1/16
CB Chevis Jackson
1/95
1/95
CB Domonique Foxworth TEAM TOTALS
12/28 TOTALS
1/1 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
1/1 0/0
0/0
10/233
2008 GAME-BY-GAME OFFENSIVE STATISTICS GAME
FIRST DOWNS
3RD DOWN PCT.
TOTAL OFFENSE
RUSHING
Plays
Yards
Att
PASSING
T
R
P
PN
Yds Net Sacked Gross
DET
23
17
5
1
3-9-33%
56
474
42
318
156
1/5
161
13 - 9 - 161 - 1 - 0
@TB
14
2
8
4
7-19-37%
65
234
28
105
129
4/29
158
33 - 13 - 158 - 0 - 2
PENALTIES FUMBLES
Att-Comp-Yds-TD-Int No-Yards
PUNTING
No-Lost
No-Avg
T.O.P
7 - 68
0-0
3 - 38.3
29:07
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 OPPONENTS STATISTICS GAME
DET
FIRST DOWNS
3RD DOWN
TOTAL OFFENSE
RUSHING
PASSING
PENALTIES FUMBLES
PUNTING
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
21
4
14
3
2-9-22%
57
308
21
62
246
3/16
33 - 24 - 262 - 2 - 1
5 - 30
1-0
6 - 42.5
30:53
262
@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
@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
34:46
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE T
SAM BAKER
72
Ht: 6-5 Wt: 312 Year: Rookie Southern 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 lanes for a ground attack that amassed a franchise single-game high 318 yards vs. Detroit (9/7). • Started at left tackle at Tampa Bay (9/14) before leaving the game with an injury (head). • Started at left tackle vs. Kansas City (9/21), but left the game following 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 completed two touchdowns passes against Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFC Wild Card meeting.
G
JUSTIN BLALOCK
63
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 333 Year: 2nd Texas 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 single-game high 318 rushing yards vs. Detroit (9/7), including a career and franchise-high 220 rushing yards by RB Michael Turner. • Member of a an offensive line that opened running lanes for a ground attack that totaled 105 yards at Tampa Bay (9/14). • Part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 18 pass attempts 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 rushing 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 (Robie Tobeck) against Minnesota (12/21). • Blocked for a Falcons rushing attack, which totaled 263 yards against St. Louis (12/28). • Opened holes for RB Michael Turner to rush for 42 yards and one touchdown against Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFC Wild Card match-up.
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE T
TYSON CLABO
77
Ht: 6-6 Wt: 332 Year: 3rd Wake 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 offensive yards vs. Detroit (9/7), including a franchise single-game high 318 rushing yards. • Part of an offensive line that cleared running lanes for a ground game that tallied 105 total rushing yards at Tampa Bay (9/14). • Member of an offensive line that opened rushing holes for a ground attack 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 franchise-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 222 yards of net offense in a win against Minnesota (12/21). • Started his 16th game at right tackle against St. Louis (12/28) and was part of an offensive line that gave up only one quarterback sack while Matt Ryan threw for 160 passing yards. • Started in his first career postseason contest and provided time for the offense to record 190 net passing yards at Arizona (1/3/09) in a NFC Wild Card contest.
G
HARVEY DAHL
73
Ht: 6-5 Wt: 308 Year: 2nd Nevada 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 line that led the way for RB Michael Turner career and franchise singlegame high 220 rushing yards. • Member of an offensive line that created holes for a ground attack that recorded 105 total rushing yards at Tampa Bay (9/14). • Started on an offensive line that did not allow a sack in 18 pass attempts 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 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE 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 contributing 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 Statistics DATE OPP REC 9/7 DET 0 9/14 @TB 2 9/21 KC 2 9/28 @CAR 2 10/5 @GB 0 10/12 CHI 5 10/26 @PHI 0 11/2 @OAK 1 11/9 NO 0 11/16 DEN 0 11/23 CAR 4 11/30 @SD 3 12/7 @NO 2 12/14 TB 0 12/21 @MIN 1 12/28 STL 1 2008 TOTALS 23 CAREER 23
YDS 0 34 10 8 0 96 0 12 0 0 92 13 45 0 4 6 320 320
AVG 0.0 17.0 5.0 4.0 0.0 19.2 0.0 12.0 0.0 0.0 23.0 4.3 22.5 0.0 4.0 6.0 13.9 13.9
LG TD RUSH YDS AVG LG TD 0 0 1 7 7.0 7 0 21 0 1 33 33.0 33 0 6 0 1 -8 -8.0 -8 0 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 18 18.0 18 0 47 0 1 -11 -11.0 -11 0 0 0 2 10 5.0 6 0 12 0 1 2 2.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 69 0 2 3 1.5 7T 1 5T 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 28 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 11 11.0 11 0 4 0 1 4 4.0 4 0 6 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 69 1 12 69 5.8 33 1 69 1 12 69 5.8 33 1
douglas’ Game-By-Game RETURN Statistics DATE
OPP.
KR
9/7
DET
0
YDS AVG. TD 0
0.0
0
PR 0
YDS AVG. FC 0
0.0
0
LG TD 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
0.0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
10.0 0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0 0
10/5
@GB
0
0
10/12
CHI
1
10
10/26
@PHI
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
11/30
@SD
0
0
0.0
0
2
32
16.0
1
32
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
61T 1 0
douglas’ POSTSEASON Statistics DATE
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
OPP
1
0
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 0.0
0
0
0
0
AVG LG TD 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
0
douglas’ POSTSEASON RETURN Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
KR
YDS AVG. TD
PR
YDS AVG. FC
LG TD
0
0
0.0
0
3
31
10.3
0
21
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)
0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE WR
BRIAN FINNERAN
86
Ht: 6-5 Wt: 206 Year: 9th Villanova 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 seasons after 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 matchup. finneran’s Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
9/7
DET
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
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
21
169
1
0
0
0.0
0
0
16
0
0
0.0
0
0
2008 TOTALS CAREER
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 0.0
0
11.0 14
8.0
14
208 2,816 13.5 53
0
0
0
AVG LG TD 0.0
0
0
FINNERAN’S Game-By-Game RETURN Statistics DATE
OPP.
KR
9/7
DET
0
YDS AVG. TD 0
0.0
0
PR 0
YDS AVG. FC 0
0.0
0
LG TD 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
0.0
1
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 DATE
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
OPP
2
11
5.5
7
0
0
0
0.0
0
2008 TOTALS
2
11
5.5
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
14
159
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
CAREER
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
11.4 29
AVG LG TD 0
FINNERAN’S POSTSEASON RETURN Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
KR
YDS AVG. TD
PR
YDS AVG. FC
LG TD
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)
0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE T
WAYNE GANDY
68
TE
BEN HARTSOCK
Ht: 6-5 Wt: 308 Year: 14th Auburn GP / 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).
89
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 264 Year: 5th Ohio 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 DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
9/7
DET
1
17
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
9/14
@TB
0
0
0.0
9/21
KC
0
0
9/28
@CAR
1
10/5
@GB
0
10/12
CHI
10/26 11/2
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
7
7.0
7
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
@PHI
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
@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
2008 TOTALS CAREER
17.0 17
0
INJURED RESERVE 3
26
27
273
8.7
17
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
10.1 27
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
hartsock’s POSTSEASON Statistics DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
AVG LG TD
INJURED RESERVE
2008 TOTALS CAREER
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS INJURED RESERVE
3
16
5.3
6
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE WR
MICHAEL JENKINS
12
season highs RECEPTIONS: 6 vs. New Orleans (11/9)
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 215 Year: 5th Ohio State GP / GS / DNP / IA: (16/ 11/ 0/ 0) Career GP / GS: (77/45) 2008 Playoffs GP / GS / DNP / IA: (1/ 1/ 0/ 0) Career Postseason GP / GS: (3/1)
RECEIVING YARDS: 72 (two times) last time vs. St. Louis (12/28) RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS: 2 at Oakland (11/2)
• 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-winning 48-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 season-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 meeting at Arizona (1/3/09) and finished second on the team in receiving with five receptions for 51 yards (10.2 avg.). jenkins’ Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
9/7
DET
1
62
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
9/14
@TB
0
0
0.0
9/21
KC
2
19
9.5
9/28
@CAR
3
10/5
@GB
3
10/12
CHI
10/26 11/2
AVG LG TD
1
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
16
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
32
10.7 12
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
38
12.7 31
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
4
58
14.5 26
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
@PHI
3
50
16.7 21
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
@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
50
777
15.5 62T
3
0
0
0.0
0
0
2
4
2.0
2
0
2008 TOTALS CAREER
62.0 62T
185 2,372 12.8 62T 17
0
jenkins’ POSTSEASON Statistics DATE
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
OPP
5
51
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 10.2 21
0
0
0
0.0
0
2008 TOTALS
5
51
10.2 21
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
CAREER
8
77
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
9.6
21
AVG LG TD 0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE C
TODD MCCLURE
62
FB
OVIE MUGHELLI
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 301 Year: 10th LSU 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 a ground attack that recorded a franchise single-game high 318 rushing 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 minutes of time of possession. • Started at center for an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 23 pass attempts vs. New Orleans (11/9), marking the fouth time the offensvie line has accomplished the feat in 2008. • Part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 30 pass attempts vs. Denver (11/16). • Started on an offensive line that helped produce five rushing scores vs. Carolina (11/23). • Member of an offensive line that did not allow a sack on 23 pass attempts in his 130th career start at San Diego (11/30). • Started on an offensive line that helped Matt Ryan throw for a careerhigh 315 yards at New Orleans (12/7). • Started at center against Tampa Bay (12/14) in his 110th consecutive game and blocked for an offensive attack which registered 373 net offensive yards. • Started at center at Minnesota (12/21) and blocked for quarterback Matt Ryan who threw for 134 yards and one touchdown. • Started at center against St. Louis (12/28) and set a franchise record as a member of an offensive line that allowed only 17 quarterback sacks this season. • Started his fifth career postseason contest in the Falcons Wild Card game at Arizona (1/3/09) and blocked for QB Matt Ryan to complete 65 percent of his passes (26 of 40).
34
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 245 Year: 6th Wake Forest GP / 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 to opening running lanes for a ground game that totaled a franchise single-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 one attempt. • Logged two catches for 23 yards at Oakland (11/2) and helped block for 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
9/7
DET
RUSH YDS 0
0
AVG LG TD REC YDS 0.0
0
0
1
3
AVG LG TD 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
11/2
@OAK
0
0
0.0
0
0
2
23
11.5 18
11/9
NO
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/16
DEN
0
0
0.0
0
0
2
22
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
5
16
3.2
9
0
8
57
23
73
3.2
12
1
38
288
2008 TOTALS CAREER
0.0
0
0 0
11.0 14
7.1 19
0 0
0 0
7.6 30T 2
Mughelli’s Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
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
2008 TOTALS
0
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE RB
JERIOUS NORWOOD
32
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 202 Year: 3rd Mississippi State GP / 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 rushing yards on 14 carries with one touchdown, 65 kickoff return yards on 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 yards on two attempts and 30 receiving yards on one catch. • Recorded 51 rushing yards on three carries at Carolina (9/28) and added 37 kickoff return yards on two attempts on special teams. • Tallied 85 kickoff return yards on three attempts including a seasonlong 54-yard return at Green Bay (10/5). He also added 12 rushing yards 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 fourth quarter. Added 31 rushing yards on three carries and hauled in one reception for one yard on offense to record 215 all-purpose yards. • Registered 128 all-purpose yards at Philadelphia (10/26) by recording a season-high 55 receiving yards on a career-high five receptions and five rushing yards on four carries on offense, in addition to posting 68 kickoff return yards on four attempts. • Posted 63 rushing yards on 13 carries with one touchdown and two catches for 20 yards on offense at Oakland (11/2) in addition to logging 26 kickoff return yards on one attempt. • Notched 178 all-purpose yards by recording 17 rushing yards, 73 kickoff return yards and 88 receiving yards on two catches and his first career receiving touchdown vs. New Orleans (11/9). • Recorded 123 all-purpose yards vs. Denver (11/16) by posting 18 rushing, 25 receiving and 80 kickoff return yards. • Tallied 11 rushing yards on four carries and one catch for five yards on offense vs. Carolina (11/23) and added 47 kickoff return yards on three attempts on special teams. • Logged 80 all-purpose yards at San Diego (11/30) by recording 18 rushing, eight receiving and 54 on three kickof returns. • Registered 180 all-purpose yards at New Orleans (12/7) by posting 142 kickoff return yards, 20 receiving yards and 18 rushing yards. • Caught two passes for 24 yards and logged four rushes against Tampa Bay (12/14). Also added three kickoff returns for 56 yards and a 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) on an eight-yard shovel pass from Matt Ryan in the second quarter at Minnesota (12/21). Also returned three kickoffs for 80 yards. • Posted 192 kickoff return yards to set a new season high while also recording a 92-yard return in the second quarter against St. Louis (12/28). Also totaled three rushes for 56 yards, which includes a 45yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal a Falcons victory and added one reception for 22 yards. • In his first career postseason contest tallied two rushes for 12 yards and one reception for 28 yards in Atlanta’s Wild Card contest at Arizona (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 Statistics DATE OPP RUSH YDS 9/7 DET 14 93 9/14 @TB 6 18 9/21 KC 11 75 9/28 @CAR 3 51 10/5 @GB 4 12 10/12 CHI 3 31 10/26 @PHI 4 5 11/2 @OAK 14 63 11/9 NO 6 17 11/16 DEN 4 18 11/23 CAR 4 11 11/30 @SD 4 18 12/7 @NO 5 18 12/14 TB 4 -7 12/21 @MIN 6 10 12/28 STL 3 56 2008 TOTALS 95 489 CAREER 297 1,735
AVG 6.6 3.0 6.8 17.0 3.0 10.3 1.3 4.8 2.8 4.5 2.8 4.5 3.6 -1.7 1.7 18.7 5.1 5.8
LG TD REC YDS 17 1 2 6 6 0 1 8 44 0 1 30 40 0 4 1 5 0 3 9 21 0 1 6 4 0 5 55 12T 1 2 20 8 0 2 88 12 0 3 25 8 0 1 5 10 0 2 8 11 0 4 20 2 0 2 24 8 0 2 11 45 2 1 22 45 4 36 338 78T 7 76 717
AVG LG 3.0 3 8.0 8 30.0 30 0.3 7 3.0 7 6.0 6 11.0 20 10.0 14 44.0 67T 8.3 11 5.0 5 4.0 8 5.0 9 12.0 17 5.5 8 22.0 22 9.4 67T 9.4 67T
TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2
NORWOOD’S Game-By-Game Statistics DATE OPP. KR YDS 9/7 DET 2 65 9/14 @TB 4 84 9/21 KC 2 44 9/28 @CAR 2 37 10/5 @GB 3 85 10/12 CHI 4 178 10/26 @PHI 4 68 11/2 @OAK 1 26 11/9 NO 2 73 11/16 DEN 4 80 11/23 CAR 3 47 11/30 @SD 3 54 12/7 @NO 6 142 12/14 TB 3 56 12/21 @MIN 3 80 12/28 STL 5 192 2008 TOTALS 51 1,311 CAREER 116 2,948
AVG. 32.5 21.0 22.0 18.5 28.3 44.5 17.0 26.0 36.5 20.0 15.7 18.0 23.7 18.7 26.7 38.4 25.7 25.4
TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
YDS AVG. FC 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 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
LG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
norwood’s postseason Statistics DATE OPP RUSH YDS 1/3/09 ARI 2 12 2008 TOTALS 2 12 CAREER 2 12
AVG LG TD REC YDS 6.0 8 0 1 28 6.0 8 0 1 28 6.0 8 0 1 28
AVG 28.0 28.0 28.0
LG TD 28 0 28 0 28 0
NORWOOD’S postseason return Statistics DATE OPP. 1/3/09 ARI 2008 TOTALS CAREER
KR 2 2 2
YDS AVG. TD 54 27.0 0 54 27.0 0 54 27.0 0
PR 0 0 0
YDS AVG. FC 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0
season highs RUSHING 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)
LG 0 0 0
TD 0 0 0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE T
QUINN OJINNAKA
76
TE
JUSTIN PEELLE
Ht: 6-5 Wt: 305 Year: 3rd Syracuse GP / 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).
87
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 250 Year: 7th Oregon GP / 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 reception. • 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 DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
9/7
DET
1
13
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
9/14
@TB
0
0
0.0
9/21
KC
1
7
9/28
@CAR
0
13.0 13
AVG LG TD
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
7.0
7
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
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
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
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
2008 TOTALS CAREER
0
0
15
159
100
773
12.7 18T
10.6 18T 7.7
35
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
2
0
0
0.0
0
0
9
0
0
0.0
0
0
peelle’s POSTSEASON Statistics DATE
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
OPP
3
11
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 3.7
6
1
0
0
AVG LG TD 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
0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE TE
MARCUS POLLARD
81
TE
JASON RADER
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 271 Year: 3rd Marshall GP / 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)
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 255 Year: 14th Bradley GP / 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 DATE
OPP
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
12/28
STL
2008 TOTALS CAREER
REC
YDS
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
AVG LG TD
OPP
INACTIVE 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
349 4,280 12.3 86T 40
REC
YDS
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
19
235
1
0
0
0.0
0
0
CAREER
• • • • • • • • • • •
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
pollard’s POSTSEASON Statistics DATE
85
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
12.4 32
AVG LG TD
DATE
OPP
9/7
DET
REC
YDS
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
9/14
@TB
9/21
KC
INACTIVE
9/28
@CAR
INACTIVE
10/5
@GB
INACTIVE
10/12
CHI
DID NOT PLAY
10/26
@PHI
11/2
@OAK
AVG LG TD
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
11/9
NO
11/16
DEN
11/23
CAR
11/30
@SD
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 DATE
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
OPP
0
0
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 0.0
0
0
0
0
AVG LG TD 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
0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE QB
CHRIS REDMAN
8
WR
LAURENT ROBINSON
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 221 Year: 6th Louisville GP / 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)
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 194 Year: 2nd Illinois State GP / 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)
• 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 YDS AVG 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
• 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 leaving 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.
11/16 DEN
DID NOT PLAY
11/23 CAR
DID NOT PLAY
11/30 @SD
DID NOT PLAY
DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
12/7
DID NOT PLAY
9/7
DET
0
0
12/14 TB
DID NOT PLAY
9/14
@TB
4
45
12/21 @MIN
DID NOT PLAY
9/21
KC
1
7
12/28 STL
DID NOT PLAY
9/28
@CAR
@NO
2008 TOTALS CAREER
0 347
0 0.0
0
0
0
0
0
robinson’s Game-By-Game Statistics 0.0
0
AVG LG TD
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
11.3 23
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
7.0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
7
INACTIVE
0.0
0
0 0.0
0
10/5
@GB
INACTIVE
21
28 1.3
0
10/12
CHI
INACTIVE
10/26
@PHI
11/2
@OAK
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
12/21
@MIN
12/28
STL
DATE OPP ATT CMP PCT
YDS TDINT LG SK RTG RSH YDS AVG TD
1/3/09 ARI
DID NOT PLAY
2008 TOTALS
DID NOT PLAY 0
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
195 56.2 2,190 17 10 74T 43 79.5
redman’s postseason Statistics
CAREER
19
0 0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0 0.0
0
2008 TOTALS CAREER
INACTIVE
INACTIVE INJURED RESERVE INJURED RESERVE 5
52
10.4 23
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
42
489
11.6 74T
1
0
0
0.0
0
0
robinson’s POSTSEASON Statistics DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
AVG LG TD
INJURED RESERVE
2008 TOTALS CAREER
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS INJURED RESERVE
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE QB
MATT RYAN
ryan’s Game-By-Game Statistics
2
DATE OPP ATT CMP PCT
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 220 Year: Rookie Boston College GP / 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)
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
4
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
2
60.8
2
11 5.5
0
10/5
@GB
23 23
29.6
26
16 61.5
194
2
1
37
0
94.1
4
16 4.0
0
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
33
24 72.7
315
1
1
59
0
99.9
4
13 3.3
1
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
10 47.6
160
1
2
41
1
49.8
4
-1 -0.2
0
10/12 CHI
• Started his first NFL game vs. Detroit (9/7) and completed nine of 13 passes for 161 yards with one touchdown. His first career pass was completed for a 62-yard touchdown strike to WR Michael Jenkins, making him the first quarterback to throw a touchdown pass on his first career NFL pass since October 8, 2000 when Michael Bishop accomplished the feat as a member of the New England Patriots. • Completed 13 of 33 passes for 158 yards at Tampa Bay (9/14) and added six carries for 10 yards on the ground. • Threw for 192 yards on 12 of 18 passing with one touchdown vs. Kansas City (9/21) and added 15 rushing yards on one carry. • Completed 21 of 41 passes at Carolina (9/28) in addition to throwing for 158 yards. • Connected on 16 of 26 passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns at Green 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 passes including his final completion of 26 yards to WR Michael Jenkins with one second remaining; setting up a game-winning field goal by K Jason Elam as 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 yards with 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 addition to recording a career-high 18 rushing yards on five carries. • Completed 17 of 27 passes for 259 yards vs. Carolina (11/23), including completing his second-longest pass of his career, a 69-yard completion to WR Harry Douglas in the fourth quarter. • Connected on 17 of 23 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns at San Diego (11/30). • Logged a career-high 315 passing yards on 24 of 33 passing with one touchdown at New Orleans (12/7) and added four carries for 13 yards with his first career rushing touchdown. • Completed 15 of 23 passes for 206 yards and added six rushes for 19 yards against Tampa Bay (12/14). • Completed 13 of 24 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown while adding three rushes for two yards at Minnesota (12/21). Hit RB Jerious Norwood for an eight-yard touchdown in the second quarter. • Connected with Michael Jenkins for a 41-yard strike en route to completeing 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, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Also rushed on four occasions for six yards. Set a NFL rookie postseason record with 26 completions and his 65 percent completion percentage ranks first for a Falcons quarterback in postseason franchise history.
YDS TDINT LG SK RTG RSH YDS AVG TD
9/7
@NO
12/14 TB 12/28 STL
21
2008 TOTALS 434
265 61.1 3,340 16 11 70T 17 87.7
55 104 1.9
1
CAREER
265 61.1 3,340 16 11 70T 17 87.7
55 104 1.9
1
434
RYAN’s postseason Statistics DATE OPP ATT CMP PCT 1/3/09 ARI
YDS TDINT LG SK RTG RSH YDS AVG TD
40
26 65.0
199
2
2
28 3/9 72.8
4
6 1.5
2008 TOTALS 40
26 65.0
199
2
2
28 3/9 72.8
4
6 1.5
0
CAREER
26 65.0
199
2
2
28 3/9 72.8
4
6 1.5
0
40
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)
UPDATED PLAYER bios - OFFENSE QB
D.J. SHOCKLEY
RB
3
JASON SNELLING
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 229 Year: 2nd Virginia GP / 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)
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 222 Year: 3rd Georgia GP / 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 DATE OPP ATT CMP PCT
YDS TDINT LG SK RTG RSH YDS AVG TD
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
INACTIVE
@NO
12/14 TB
INACTIVE
12/21 @MIN
INACTIVE
12/28 STL
INACTIVE
2008 TOTALS
0
0 0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0 0.0
0
CAREER
0
0 0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0 0.0
0
2008 TOTALS CAREER
0
0 0.0
DATE
OPP
INACTIVE
9/7
DET
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
INACTIVE
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
YDS TDINT LG SK RTG RSH YDS AVG TD
1/3/09 ARI 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 reception 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 special teams. • Saw action on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9). • Hauled in one catch for two yards vs. Denver (11/16) in addition to posting 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 matchup at Arizona (1/3/09) and posted one special teams tackle. snelling’s Game-By-Game Statistics
Shockley’s postseason Statistics DATE OPP ATT CMP PCT
44
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0 0.0
0
RUSH YDS
AVG LG TD REC YDS
AVG LG TD
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
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
12/21
@MIN
3
12
4.0
8
0
1
13
12/28
STL
15.5 27
13.0 13 0.0
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
0
CAREER
28
105
3.8
17
1
8
89
11.1 27
0
SNELLING’S postseason Statistics DATE OPP RUSH YDS 1/3/09 ARI 0 0 2008 TOTALS 0 0 CAREER 0 0
AVG LG TD REC YDS 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
AVG 0.0 0.0 0.0
LG TD 0 0 0 0 0 0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - offense C
ALEX STEPANOVICH
69
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 296 Year: 5th Ohio State GP / GS / DNP / IA: (4/ 0/ 0/ 12) Career GP / GS: (46/34) 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). • 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: 5th Northern Illinois GP / 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 yards with two touchdowns on 22 carries in his Falcons debut vs. Detroit (9/7). His 220 rushing yards led a Falcons ground attack that amassed a franchise single-game high 318 total yards. • Recorded 14 carries for 42 yards at Tampa Bay (9/14) in addition to hauling in one catch for six yards. • Posted a team-high 104 rushing yards on 23 carries with a careerhigh 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 rushing yards 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 at New Orleans (12/7). His rushing score tied Jamal Anderson for the most rushing scores (14) in a single-season in team history. • Logged his third-highest rushing total of his career with 152 yards on 32 attempts against Tampa Bay (12/14). Added his 15th rushing touchdown of the season, which set a franchise record and moved into fifth place in rushing yards for a season (1,421). Also caught two passes for 30 yards, both of which went for his first two receiving first downs of the season. • Led the team in rushing with 19 carries for 70 yards and added one touchdown on Atlanta’s opening offensive possession of the game at Minnesota (12/21). His touchdown was the 16th of the season, tying a Falcons franchise record for the most TDs in a campaign. • Posted 208 yards on 25 carries against St. Louis (12/28) to mark his second 200-yard game this season and set the second-highest rushing total in a single game in franchise history. Turner also finished the regular season with 1,699 yards, which ranks third in a single-season 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 the second quarter. Also caught one pass for seven yards.
UPDATED PLAYER bios - offense turner’s Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
OPP
RUSH YDS
9/7
DET
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
20
22
220
AVG LG TD REC YDS 10.0 66T
2
1
6
6.0
6
NO
27
96
3.6
11/16
DEN
25
81
3.2 28T
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
12/14
TB
32
152
4.8
22
1
2
30
12/21
@MIN
19
70
3.7
13
1
0
0
0.0
0
12/28
STL
25
208
8.3
70
1
0
0
0.0
0
4.5
70
17
6
41
CAREER
376 1,699 604 2,956
1
1
0
0.0
0
0
2
0
0
0.0
0
0
4.9 83T 23
17
112
15.0 18
6.8 18 6.6 30
0 0 0
AVG 2.3 2.3 3.6
LG TD REC YDS 13 1 1 7 13 1 1 7 19 2 2 12
14
AVG 7.0 7.0 6.0
Ht: 5-9 Wt: 191 Year: 1st Bethune-Cookman GP / 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.
0
weems’ Game-By-Game Statistics
0 0
turner’s postseason Statistics DATE OPP RUSH YDS 1/3/09 ARI 18 42 2008 TOTALS 18 42 CAREER 64 230
ERIC WEEMS
0
11/9
2008 TOTALS
WR
AVG LG TD
LG TD 7 0 7 0 7 0
DATE
OPP
9/7
DET
9/14
@TB
9/21
KC
9/28
@CAR
10/5
@GB
10/12
CHI
REC
YDS
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS
AVG LG TD
10/26
@PHI
season highs
11/2
@OAK
RUSHING ATTEMPTS: 32 vs. Tampa Bay (12/14)
11/9
NO
RUSHING YARDS: 220 vs. Detroit (9/7)
11/16
DEN
RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS: 4 vs. Carolina (11/23)
11/23
CAR
1
4
4.0
4
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
LONGEST RUSH: 70 vs. St. Louis (12/28)
11/30
@SD
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
POINTS SCORED: 24 vs. Carolina (11/23)
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 DATE
REC
YDS
1/3/09 ARI
OPP
0
0
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 0.0
0
0
0
0
AVG LG TD 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
0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - offense T
TODD WEINER
74
WR
RODDY WHITE
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 300 Year: 11th Kansas 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 rushing 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 in the 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 and one touchdown.
84
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 208 Year: 4th Alabama-Birmingham GP / 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 quarter marked the longest reception of his career and his 100-yard receiving 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 touchdown 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-yard receiving seasons since Terance Mathis (1998 and 99). • Recorded a career-high 164 receiving yards on a season-high 10 receptions at New Orleans (12/7). • Led the team in receiving with four receptions for 61 yards vs. Tampa Bay (12/14) and his long reception of 30 yards in the first quarter moved him into ninth place on Atlanta’s career receiving list (3,464). • Caught three passes for 24 yards at Minnesota (12/21) and moved into fifth 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 a season with 1,382. • Started his first career playoff game in Atlanta’s Wild Card match-up at Arizona (1/3/09) and led the team in receiving with 11 receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown. Set postseason franchise records with eight first half catches and 11 total receptions in a game. white’s Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
OPP
REC
YDS
9/7
DET
2
54
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 27.0 46
0
0
0
AVG LG TD 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
12
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
12/28
STL
16.0 22
1
0
0
0.0
0
0
7
2
4
2.0
2
7
14
2008 TOTALS CAREER
3 88
48
8.0
1,382 15.7 70T
230 3,536 15.4 70T 16
2.0 16
0 0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - offense C
white’s POSTSEASON Statistics DATE
OPP
1/3/09 ARI
REC
YDS
11
84
AVG LG TD RUSH YDS 7.6
12
1
0
0
AVG LG TD 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
BEN WILKERSON
67
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 310 Year: 3rd LSU GP / 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)
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)
• 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).
UPDATED PLAYER bios - special teams K
JASON ELAM
1
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 194 Year: 16th Hawaii 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 addition 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 on three field goals (32, 27 and 24). • Connected on five PATs vs. Kansas City (9/21) in addition to connecting on a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter. • Recorded nine points at Carolina (9/28) by connecting on all three field goal attempts (33, 44 and 44). His second field goal of 44 yards marked his 100th career successful field goal between 40 and 49 yards. • Posted nine points at Green Bay (10/5) by hitting two field goals (42 and 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 time expired. The field goal marked the 22nd game-winning field goal of his 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 (34 yards) in overtime against Tampa Bay (12/14). His seven points gave him 116 for the season, which moved him into fourth place in team history in points for a season. • Tacked on his 28th field goal this season with three seconds remaining 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 a tie for the second-most points in a season with 122. • Totaled seven points against St. Louis (12/28) to give him 129 for the season. Elam’s total ranks second in scoring in a season and is the highest total since Jay Feely (138) in 2002. • Split the uprights on one field goal attempt from 30 yards and added three PATs to give him six points at Arizona (1/3/09) in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff game.
elam’s Game-By-Game Statistics OPP
0-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
DET
0-0
1-1
0-0
0-0
50+ TOTAL LG PCT PATS PTS 1-1
2-2
50 1.00
4-4
@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
10
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
39 1.00
4-4
STL
0-0
0-0
1-1
0-0
0-0
1-1
2008
0-0
11-11
7-8
10-10
1-2
29-31
CAREER4-4
50 .933 42-42
7 129
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
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
2-2
8-9
4-6
2-2
16-19
CAREER14-0
50+ TOTAL LG PCT PATS PTS
51 .842 42-43
90
UPDATED PLAYER bios - special teams P
MICHAEL KOENEN
9
KOENEN’S Game-By-Game Statistics DATE OPP FGATTFG% LG PATPTSPUNT YDS AVG NET IN20LGKO/TB
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 199 Year: 4th Western 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) in addition to posting six kickoffs with one touchback. • Registered five punts for 181 yards with two being downed inside the 20-yard line at Tampa Bay (9/14) including a season long of 55 yards. 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 added six punts for 254 yards with one being downed inside the 20-yard line, including a season-long 60-yard punt. • Recorded three punts for 125 yards at Green Bay (10/5) with all three being 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-yard line (five). • Tallied one punt for 33 yards with one being downed inside the 20yard line at Oakland (11/2). • Recorded four punts for 141 yards with three being downed inside the 20-yard line vs. New Orleans (11/9). Also added two touchbacks on seven kickoffs. • Notched 62 yards on two punts with one being downed inside the 20yard 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 averaged 53 yards on two punts. • Registered one touchback on five kickoffs at New Orleans (12/7) and added four punts that covered 190 yards with one being downed inside the 20-yard line. • Recorded five punts for 225 yards, two of which were pinned inside the 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 two kicks pinned inside the 20-yard line at Minnesota (12/21). • Posted five punts for 147 yards and a long kick of 40 yards against St. Louis (12/28). • In his first career postseason game in Atlanta’s Wild Card meeting at Arizona (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.
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
147 36.8 36.8 0 40
6/3
0
0
--- --- 0
0
4
2008
0
0
--- --- 0
0
63
CAREER
4 13 30.8 58 4-4 16 300 12,888 43.0 37.3 103 67 283/56
2,566 40.7 37.5 25 60 86/17
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
2008
0
0
0.0 0
0
0
5
212 42.4 42.6 0 49
6/1 6/1
CAREER
0
0
0.0 0
0
0
5
212 42.4 42.6 0 49
6/1
UPDATED PLAYER bios - special teams LS
MIKE SCHNECK
46
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 234 Year: 10th Wisconsin 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
season highs TACKLES: 6 at Green Bay (10/5)
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 266 Year: 8th South 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)
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)
• Collared five tackles and three sacks (16 yards) vs. Detroit (9/7). His three 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 fumble at 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 in franchise history since 2002 at Carolina (11/24). • Recorded two tackles, one sack (six yards) and one pass defensed vs. 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-season record 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.
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
2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS
1
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
42
35
16.5
109.5
0
4
0
1
431
305
84.0
534.0
0
31
5
12
ABRAHAM’s postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
14
9
2.0
20.0
0
0
0
1
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE DE
JAMAAL ANDERSON
98
DT JONATHAN BABINEAUX
Ht: 6-6 Wt: 283 Year: 2nd Arkansas GP / GS / DNP / IA: (15/ 15/ 0/ 1) Career GP / GS: (31/ 31) 2008 Playoffs GP / GS / DNP / IA: (0/ 0/ 0/ 1) Career Postseason GP / GS: (0/ 0)
95
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 288 Year: 4th Iowa GP / GS / DNP / IA: (16/ 15/ 0/ 0) Career GP / GS: (62/31) 2008 Playoffs GP / GS / DNP / IA: (1/ 1/ 0/ 0) Career Postseason GP / GS: (1/ 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 tackle. • 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).
• 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).
Anderson’s Game-By-Game Statistics
BABINEAUX’S Game-By-Game Statistics
DATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS 9/7 DET 5 4 0.0 9/14 @TB 7 6 0.0 9/21 KC 3 3 0.0 9/28 @CAR 3 2 0.0 10/5 @GB 2 2 0.0 10/12 CHI 2 2 1.0 10/26 @PHI 2 2 1.0 11/2 @OAK 1 0 0.0 11/9 NO 2 1 0.0 11/16 DEN 2 1 0.0 11/23 CAR 2 2 0.0 11/30 @SD 2 2 0.0 12/7 @NO 0 0 0.0 12/14 TB 2 0 0.0 12/21 @MIN 1 1 0.0 12/28 STL 0 0 0.0 2008 TOTALS 36 28 2.0 CAREER 81 57 2.0
YDS 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 6.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.0 10.0
INT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PD 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 6
ANDERSON’S postseason Statistics DATE OPP. 1/3/09 ARI 2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS INT INACTIVE INACTIVE 0 0 0.0 0.0 0
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0
DATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS 9/7 DET 3 3 0.0 9/14 @TB 3 2 1.0 9/21 KC 3 3 0.0 9/28 @CAR 3 2 0.0 10/5 @GB 2 1 0.0 10/12 CHI 5 4 0.0 10/26 @PHI 1 1 0.0 11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 11/9 NO 0 0 0.0 11/16 DEN 2 2 1.0 11/23 CAR 3 1 0.0 11/30 @SD 2 2 1.5 12/7 @NO 3 2 0.0 12/14 TB 3 3 0.0 12/21 @MIN 1 1 0.0 12/28 STL 3 2 0.0 2008 TOTALS 38 30 3.5 CAREER 165 117 8.0
YDS 0.0 8.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.0 0.0 10.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.5 54.0
INT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
FF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4
PD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 8
BABINEAUX’S postseason Statistics DATE OPP. 1/3/09 ARI 2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS 3 2 0.0 3 2 0.0 3 2 0.0
YDS 0.0 0.0 0.0
season highs
season highs
TACKLES: 7 vs. Tampa Bay (9/14) SOLO TACKLES: 6 vs. Tampa Bay (9/14) PASSES DEFENSED: 2 vs. Chicago (10/12)
TACKLES: 5 vs. Chicago (10/12) SOLO TACKLES: 4 vs. Chicago (10/12) SACKS: 1.5 at San Diego (11/30)
INT 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0
FR 0 0 0
PD 0 0 0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE DE KROY BIERMANN
71
LB
MICHAEL BOLEY
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 242 Year: 4th Southern 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)
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 241 Year: Rookie Montana 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 TKLS SOLOSACKS
59
DATE
OPP.
YDS
INT
FF
FR
9/7
DET
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
PD 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
• 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 Statistics DATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS 9/7 DET 6 5 0.0 9/14 @TB 4 3 0.0 9/21 KC 6 5 0.0 9/28 @CAR 8 5 0.0 10/5 @GB 4 2 0.0 10/12 CHI 9 5 0.0 10/26 @PHI 7 6 0.0 11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 11/9 NO 9 6 0.0 11/16 DEN 3 3 0.0 11/23 CAR 7 5 0.0 11/30 @SD 3 2 0.0 12/7 @NO 6 4 0.0 12/14 TB 0 0 0.0 12/21 @MIN 4 2 0.0 12/28 STL 13 11 0.0 2008 TOTALS 90 65 0.0 CAREER 365 260 6.0
YDS 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 33.0
INT FF 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 1 0 5 5
FR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
PD 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 9 28
biermann’s postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
boley’s postseason Statistics DATE OPP. 1/3/09 ARI 2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS 2 0 0.0 2 0 0.0 2 0 0.0
YDS 0.0 0.0 0.0
INT 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0
FR 0 0 0
PD 0 0 0
season highs TACKLES: 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)
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE S
ERIC BROCK
42
LB
KEITH BROOKING
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 202 Year: Rookie Auburn 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)
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 241 Year: 11th Georgia Tech GP / GS / DNP / IA: (16/16/ 0/ 0) Career GP / GS: (161/145) 2008 Playoffs GP / GS / DNP / IA: (1/ 1/ 0/ 0) Career Postseason GP / GS: (8/5)
• 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 DATE
OPP.
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
12/28
STL
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT FF
FR
PD
0
INACTIVE 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 DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0
0
INACTIVE 0
0
0.0
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 category. • 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 Statistics
INT
INACTIVE
2008 TOTALS CAREER
YDS
56
DATE OPP. TKLS SOLOSACKS YDS 9/7 DET 8 2 0.0 0.0 9/14 @TB 7 3 0.0 0.0 9/21 KC 10 8 0.0 0.0 9/28 @CAR 7 2 0.0 0.0 10/5 @GB 12 9 0.0 0.0 10/12 CHI 10 6 0.0 0.0 10/26 @PHI 8 6 0.0 0.0 11/2 @OAK 1 1 0.0 0.0 11/9 NO 10 7 0.0 0.0 11/16 DEN 5 2 0.0 0.0 11/23 CAR 8 6 0.0 0.0 11/30 @SD 7 5 0.0 0.0 12/7 @NO 10 6 0.0 0.0 12/14 TB 12 6 0.0 0.0 12/21 @MIN 7 5 0.0 0.0 12/28 STL 11 6 0.0 0.0 2008 TOTALS 133 80 0.0 0.0 CAREER 1,474 886 17.0 115.5
INT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
FF FR 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 10
PD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 47
brooking’s postseason Statistics DATE OPP. 1/3/09 ARI 2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS 7 6 0.0 7 6 0.0 49 35 2.0
YDS 0.0 0.0 31.0
INT 0 0 0
FF 0 0 0
season highs TACKLES: 12 (two times) last time: vs. Tampa Bay (12/14) SOLO TACKLES: 9 at Green Bay (10/5)
FR 0 0 0
PD 1 1 2
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE S
ERIK COLEMAN
26
season highs TACKLES: 12 vs. St. Louis (12/28)
Ht: 5-10 Wt: 206 Year: 5th Washington 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)
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)
• 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 fourth quarter to preserve the Falcons first shut out since November 24, 2002 at Carolina. • Collected a team-high 11 tackles, one interception, one pass defensed 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.
INT
FF
FR
9/7
DET
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS 8
4
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
PD 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
10
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
6
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
10
7
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
10/5
@GB
10/12
CHI
10/26
@PHI
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 DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE DE
CHAUNCEY DAVIS
92
S
THOMAS DECOUD
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 274 Year: 4th Florida 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)
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 197 Year: Rookie Cal-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)
• Recorded two tackles vs. Detroit (9/7) for a defense that allowed only 62 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 in his 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 eight yards 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 TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
28
• 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 DATE
OPP.
9/7
DET
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
DID NOT PLAY
DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
PD
10/26
@PHI
INACTIVE
9/7
DET
2
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/2
@OAK
INACTIVE
9/14
@TB
2
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/9
NO
INACTIVE
9/21
KC
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/16
DEN
INACTIVE
9/28
@CAR
3
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/23
CAR
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
10/5
@GB
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/30
@SD
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
10/12
CHI
2
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
12/7
@NO
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
10/26
@PHI
5
4
0.0
0.0
0
0
1
0
12/14
TB
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/2
@OAK
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
12/21
@MIN
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
STL
0
11/9
NO
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
12/28
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
11/16
DEN
2
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
2008 TOTALS
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/23
CAR
2
2
2.0
13.0
0
0
0
0
CAREER
0
0
0.0
0.0
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
DATE
OPP.
12/21
@MIN
4
1
1.0
4.0
0
0
2
0
1/3/09
ARI
12/28
STL
3
2
1.0
8.0
0
0
0
0
35
27
4.0
25.0
0
1
3
1
147
104
8.0
49.0
1
1
7
3
2008 TOTALS CAREER
decoud’s postseason Statistics
davis’ postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE CB
DOMONIQUE FOXWORTH
24
DE
SIMON FRASER
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 180 Year: 4th Maryland GP / 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)
75
Ht: 6-6 Wt: 274 Year: 4th Ohio State GP / GS / DNP / IA: (6/ 0/ 0/ 10) Career GP / GS: (54/6) 2008 Playoffs GP / GS / DNP / IA: (1/ 0/ 0/ 0) Career Postseason GP / GS: (1/ 0)
• 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 tackle 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 Tampa Bay (12/14). • Started his ninth game at left cornerback and posted five solo tackles at Minnesota (12/21). • Started his 10th game at left cornerback and tied a season-high with five 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).
• 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 DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
9/7
DET
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS 0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
PD 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
FOXWORTH’S Game-By-Game Statistics
10/12
CHI
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
DATE
OPP.
10/26
@PHI
INACTIVE
9/7
DET
11/2
@OAK
INACTIVE
9/14
@TB
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/9
NO
INACTIVE
9/21
KC
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/16
DEN
INACTIVE
9/28
@CAR
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/23
CAR
0
0
0
1
10/5
@GB
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/30
@SD
INACTIVE
10/12
CHI
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
12/7
@NO
INACTIVE
10/26
@PHI
4
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
12/14
TB
INACTIVE
11/2
@OAK
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
12/21
@MIN
INACTIVE
STL
0
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
INACTIVE
11/9
NO
3
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
3
12/28
11/16
DEN
5
5
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
2008 TOTALS
11/23
CAR
4
4
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
CAREER
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
DATE
OPP.
12/21
@MIN
5
5
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
1/3/09
ARI
12/28
STL
5
4
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
2
39
34
0.0
0.0
1
0
0
11
205
172
0.0
0.0
4
3
1
45
2008 TOTALS CAREER
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS
0
0.0
0.0
1
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
2
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
56
37
4.5
11.5
0
1
1
5
fraser’s postseason Statistics
FOXWORTH’S postseason Statistics DATE
0
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
4
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
4
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
24
15
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE S
JAMAAL FUDGE
29
LB
TONY GILBERT
Ht: 5-9 Wt: 194 Year: 3rd Clemson GP / 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)
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 248 Year: 5th Georgia GP / 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)
• 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 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). • 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 careerhigh 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 DATE
OPP.
9/7
DET
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
INT
9/14
@TB
INACTIVE
9/21
KC
INACTIVE
FF
FR
PD
@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
0.0
0.0
10/26
@PHI
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
11/30
@SD
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
0
0
0
STL
0
INACTIVE
8
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
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 OPP. ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
DET
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
2008 TOTALS
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
INACTIVE
INACTIVE 0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
23
15
1.0
0.0
0
0
1
0
DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0
0
INACTIVE
2008 TOTALS
INACTIVE
10
1/3/09
OPP.
9/7
CAREER
0
2008 TOTALS
DATE
gilbert’s Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
gilbert’s postseason Statistics
9/28
0
• Inactive Weeks 1-17. • Inactive for Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff game at Arizona (1/3/09).
CAREER
DID NOT PLAY
0
51
INACTIVE 0
0
0.0
0.0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE CB
BRENT GRIMES
20
CB
ANTOINE HARRIS
Ht: 5-10 Wt: 185 Year: 1st Shippensburg 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)
Ht: 5-10 Wt: 197 Year: 2nd Louisville GP / 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)
• Started his first NFL game at left cornerback vs. Detroit (9/7) and posted six tackles. • Collared three tackles and one pass defensed at Tampa Bay (9/14). • Tallied four tackles, two passes defensed and his first career interception 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 TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
11/30
@SD
INACTIVE
12/7
@NO
INACTIVE
12/14
1
0
0.0
TB
0.0
0
0
0
0
INACTIVE
@MIN
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
12/28
STL
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
36
29
0.0
0.0
1
0
0
6
CAREER
47
39
0.0
0.0
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
harris’ Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
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
1
0
0
0
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
@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
12/14
TB
INJURED RESERVE
INACTIVE
12/21
@MIN
INJURED RESERVE
12/28
STL
INJURED RESERVE 0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
10
7
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
harris’ postseason Statistics
6
DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
INT
FF
FR
PD 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
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)
CAREER
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0
1
INJURED RESERVE
2008 TOTALS
YDS
season highs
PD
10/5
CAREER
grimes’ postseason Statistics DATE
• 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 at Oakland (11/2). • Saw action on special teams vs. New Orleans (11/9). • Saw action on special teams vs. Denver (11/16). • 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.
2008 TOTALS
12/21
2008 TOTALS
41
INJURED RESERVE 13
8
2.0
20.0
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE CB
CHRIS HOUSTON
23
TACKLES: 8 at San Diego (11/30)
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 175 Year: 2nd Arkansas GP / 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)
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)
• 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 passes 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 TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
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
PD
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 DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
season highs
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE CB
DAVID IRONS
30
CB
CHEVIS JACKSON
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 197 Year: 2nd Auburn 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)
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 185 Year: Rookie LSU 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)
• 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 exiting the game with a knee injury. • Placed on injured reserve December 16. irons’ Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
OPP.
9/7
DET
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
9/14
@TB
9/21
KC
INACTIVE
9/28
@CAR
INACTIVE
0
0
0.0
INT
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0
0
0.0
22
INACTIVE
• 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 interception vs. New Orleans (11/9). He returned the interception 95 yards for a touchdown, marking the second longest interception return in Falcons 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 tackles. • 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 the Falcons first postseason interception since January 15, 2005.
10/5
@GB
INACTIVE
10/12
CHI
INACTIVE
DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
10/26
@PHI
INACTIVE
9/7
DET
2
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/2
@OAK
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
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/9
NO
11/16
DEN
11/23
CAR
11/30
jackson’s Game-By-Game Statistics
INACTIVE 0
0
0.0
@SD
0
0
0.0
12/7
@NO
0
0
12/14
TB
0
0
12/21
@MIN
12/28
STL
0.0
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
PD
0
0
0
0
10/5
@GB
2
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
0.0
0
0
0
0
10/12
CHI
3
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
10/26
@PHI
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
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 0
INACTIVE
INJURED RESERVE INJURED RESERVE
11/16
DEN
2
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
2008 TOTALS
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
11/23
CAR
4
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
CAREER
0
0
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
INJURED RESERVE
12/28
STL
4
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
INJURED RESERVE
2008 TOTALS
33
27
0.0
0.0
1
0
0
5
CAREER
33
27
0.0
0.0
1
0
0
5
irons’ postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
2008 TOTALS CAREER
0
0
0.0
YDS
0.0
INT
0
FF
0
FR
0
PD
0
jackson’s postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE DT
GRADY JACKSON
90
DT
JASON JEFFERSON
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 345 Year: 12th Knoxville 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)
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 295 Year: 4th Wisconsin 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)
• Posted three tackles vs. Detroit (9/7) for a defensive unit that allowed only 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 DATE
OPP.
9/7
DET
9/14
@TB
9/21
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0
0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
1.0
4.0
0
0
0
0
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
3
1
0.0
KC
1
1
0.0
9/28
@CAR
3
3
10/5
@GB
2
2
10/12
CHI
1
10/26
@PHI
1
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 CAREER
0.0 INACTIVE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
23
21
2.0
14.0
0
0
0
1
383
35.5
256.0
0
8
7
27
2008 TOTALS CAREER
4
3
0.0
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
0.0
0
0
0
0
4
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
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)
jefferson’s Game-By-Game Statistics DATE
OPP.
9/7
DET
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
10/12
CHI
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
9
8
0.0
0.0
0
0
1
0
35
19
0.0
0.0
0
0
1
0
CAREER
530
TKLS SOLOSACKS
• 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).
2008 TOTALS
JACKSON’S postseason Statistics DATE
99
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
INACTIVE
INACTIVE INACTIVE
jefferson’s postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE LB
CURTIS LOFTON
50
S
LAWYER MILLOY
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 248 Year: Rookie Oklahoma 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)
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 216 Year: 13th Washington 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)
• 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 franchiselow 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 passes 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 TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
• 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 DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
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
9/28
@CAR
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
12
9
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
2
7
4
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
@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 0
12/7
@NO
12/14
TB
12/21
@MIN
12/28
STL
CAREER
7
4
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
13
8
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
6
6
0.0
0.0
0
1
0
0
117
76
0.0
0.0
1
1
0
5
17.0
144.5
25
11
9
85
INACTIVE 1,586 1,032
milloy’s postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
2008 TOTALS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD 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
CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
8
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
8
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
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)
season highs TACKLES: 11 vs. Chicago (10/12) SOLO TACKLES: 8 vs. Chicago (10/12)
PD
10/5
2008 TOTALS
lofton’s postseason Statistics DATE
36
INTERCEPTIONS: 1 vs. Detroit (9/7) PASSES DEFENSED: 2 vs. Kansas City (9/21)
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE DT
KINDAL MOOREHEAD
94
LB
STEPHEN NICHOLAS
Ht: 6-2 Wt: 299 Year: 6th Alabama 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)
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 232 Year: 2nd South 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)
• 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 DATE
OPP.
9/7
DET
9/14 9/21
@TB KC
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS 2 0 0
1 0 0
0.0
INT
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
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
11/23
CAR
11/30
@SD
12/7
@NO
INACTIVE INACTIVE 1 0
1 0
0.0 0.0
0.0 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
2008 TOTALS CAREER
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
18
15
1.0
29.0
0
1
0
1
156
100
10.5
101.0
1
1
3
5
• 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
0
0
DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
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
moorehead’s postseason Statistics OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
2008 TOTALS CAREER
TKLS SOLOSACKS 1 1 1
1 1 1
0.0 0.0 0.0
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
0.0
0
0
0
0
0.0 0.0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
PD
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
9
7
1.0
6.0
0
0
0
2
20
17
1.0
6.0
0
0
0
2
2008 TOTALS
DATE
54
CAREER
nicholas’ postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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
UPDATED PLAYER bios - DEFENSE CB
GLENN SHARPE
37
LB
COY WIRE
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 185 Year: Rookie Miami (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)
Ht: 6-0 Wt: 228 Year: 7th Stanford 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)
• 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 DATE
OPP.
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
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS
INT
12/7
@NO
12/14
TB
INACTIVE
12/21
@MIN
INACTIVE
12/28
STL
FF
FR
PD
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
CAREER
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
wire’s Game-By-Game Statistics
SHARPE’S postseason Statistics OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
INACTIVE
2008 TOTALS CAREER
• 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 registered a season-high nine tackles (eight solo), one pass defensed and three special teams stops vs. Tampa Bay (12/14). • Started his second consecutive game at linebacker and totaled eight tackles (five solo) and one special teams stop at Minnesota (12/21). • Started his fourth game of the season at outside linebacker against St. Louis (12/28) and notched one solo tackle. • Totaled eight tackles (five solo) in Atlanta’s Wild Card Playoff game at Arizona (1/3/09).
INACTIVE
2008 TOTALS
DATE
52
INACTIVE 0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
DATE
OPP.
INT
FF
FR
9/7
DET
TKLS SOLO SACKS YDS 0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
PD 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
2008 TOTALS CAREER
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
24
17
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
188
117
5.0
0.0
0
1
0
5
wire’s postseason Statistics DATE
OPP.
1/3/09
ARI
TKLS SOLOSACKS
YDS
INT
FF
FR
PD
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 FOXWORTH CORNERBACK HT: 5-11
WT: 180
GP/GS: 46/18 POSTSEASON: 2/2
24
COLLEGE: Maryland
NFL SEASON: 4th
BORN: March 27, 1983
ACQ: Tr. ‘08 (Den)
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, three forced 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 special 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 defensed and 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 fumble and 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 fumble 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 Coast Conference 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-Metro and All-Baltimore County honors from the Baltimore Sun. • Totaled a school-record 14 interceptions and recorded 2,037 all purpose yards as a senior.
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
46/18
166
138
28
0.0
0.0
3
68
0
34
3
1
0
0
Totals
JAMAAL FUDGE SAFETY
29
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)
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.
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
20/0
15
12
3
0.0
0.0
1
0
0
2
1
1
0
0
Totals
ERIC BROCK SAFETY
42
HT: 6-0
WT: 202
COLLEGE: Auburn
NFL SEASON: Rookie
GP/GS: 0/0
POSTSEASON: 0/0
BORN: April 24, 1985
ACQ: FA ‘08
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 Cotton Bowl. • 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.
TONY GILBERT LINEBACKER
51
HT: 6-0
WT: 248
COLLEGE: Georgia
NFL SEASON: 5th
GP/GS: 56/0
POSTSEASON: 1/0
BORN: October 16, 1979
ACQ: FA ‘08
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 seven special 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 JournalConstitution. • 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.
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
0
0
0
1
0
0
2007 Totals
INJURED RESERVE 56/0
23
15
8
1.0
0
0
COY WIRE LINEBACKER HT: 6-0
WT: 228
GP/GS: 80/21 POSTSEASON: 0/0
52
COLLEGE: Stanford
NFL SEASON: 7th
BORN: November 7, 1978
ACQ: FA ‘08
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.
WIRE’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS Year
Team GP/GS Tackles
Solo
Asst.
Sacks
INT
YDS
TD
PD
FF
FR
YDS
TD
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
Totals
7/1
4
0
4
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
80/21
164
100
64
5.0
0
0
0
4
1
0
0
0
WAYNE GANDY OFFENSIVE TACKLE HT: 6-5
WT: 308
GP/GS: 212/205
68
COLLEGE: Auburn POSTSEASON: 4/4
BORN: February 10, 1971
NFL SEASON: 14th ACQ: FA ‘08
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 at Tennessee. 2006 (FALCONS) • Started all 16 games for the fifth consecutive season, helping the team lead the NFL in rushing for the third consecutive year, while setting 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. Tampa Bay (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 a quarterback 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 season. McAllister finished second in the NFC with a career-high 1,641 yards (4.7 avg. on 351 carries) and posted a club-record ninestraight 100-yard games (from vs. Indianapolis, Sept. 28 to vs. Tampa Bay, Dec. 7). McAllister's nine-straight 100-yard performances tied 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 Playoff game 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 AFC Championship Game vs. New England (1/27/02).
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 2,000 yards. 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 G Tom 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 a unanimous 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 (Pit 15/15), 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 POLLARD TIGHT END HT: 6-3
WT: 255
GP/GS: 191/133
81
COLLEGE: Bradley POSTSEASON: 13/10
BORN: February 8, 1972
NFL SEASON: 14th ACQ: FA ‘08
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 with 3,391 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 16 games 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 second longest by a tight end.
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
191/133
349
4,280
12.3
86t
40
0
0
0.0
0
0
Totals
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
13/10
17
228
13.4
32
1
0
0
0.0
0
0
Totals
JUSTIN PEELLE TIGHT END HT: 6-4
WT: 250
GP/GS: 93/39 POSTSEASON: 1/1
87
COLLEGE: Oregon
NFL SEASON: 7th
BORN: March 15, 1979
ACQ: FA ‘08
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 year on 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.
PEELLE’S OFFENSIVE STATISTICS RECEIVING Year
Team GP/GS
RUSHING
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
93/39
85
614
7.2
35
7
0
0
0.0
0
0
Totals
GRADY JACKSON DEFENSIVE TACKLE HT: 6-2
WT: 345
GP/GS: 155/102
90
COLLEGE: Knoxville College POSTSEASON: 9/7
BORN: January 21, 1973
NFL SEASON: 12th ACQ: FA ‘08
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 passes defensed. • In 2004, Green Bay allowed nearly 40 less rushing yards per game (39.9) in Jackson’s 10 regular season contests than what the Packers 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 game against 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 forced fumble. • 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 with Oakland. 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). 2000 SEASON (RAIDERS) • Moved into the starting lineup in his fourth NFL season, playing in all 16 games for the first time, making 15 starts. Also started Oakland’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 posted 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). 1999 SEASON (RAIDERS) • 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). 1998 SEASON (RAIDERS) • 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). 1997 SEASON (RAIDERS) • 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 football 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
155/101
507
362
144
33.5
242.0
0
0
0
26
8
7
Totals
JASON JEFFERSON DEFENSIVE TACKLE
99
HT: 6-1
WT: 295
COLLEGE: Wisconsin
NFL SEASON: 4th
GP/GS: 20/1
POSTSEASON: 0/0
BORN: December 20, 1981
ACQ: W ‘08
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.
JEFFERSON’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS Year
Team GP/GS Tackles
Solo
Asst.
Sacks
INT
YDS
TD
PD
FF
FR
YDS
TD
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
20/0
26
11
15
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Totals
falcons 34 LIONS 21 September 7, 2008 Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA Michael Turner rushed for a franchise-record 220 yards and scored TEAM STATISTICS two touchdowns as the Falcons defeated the Detroit Lions 34-21 in the Lions Falcons 2008 opener. 21 23 Atlanta (1-0) exploded out of the gate, scoring on the first three TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 2-9-22% 3-9-33% offensive possessions and racking up 216 yards of total offense in the THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY opening period. Quarterback Matt Ryan's first pass attempt of the sea- FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% 0-0-0% son -- and his career -- was a 62-yard scoring strike to Michael Jenkins. TOTAL NET YARDS 308 474 That was followed by 66- and 5-yard touchdown runs by Turner. NET YARDS RUSHING 62 318 Turner rushed for 117 yards and both touchdowns the first quarter NET YARDS PASSING 246 156 but that was just a sign of big things to come for a Falcons football team PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 33-24-1 13-9-0 eager to show off a new form of intensity for first-year Head Coach Mike KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 4-2-1 7-3-1 Smith. 6-42.5 3-38.3 A 21-0 lead -- and a season-opening victory also seemed to breathe PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 0-0 0-0 new life into a fan base that witnessed just four 'W's' in a tumultuous FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 2007. Each score in the Falcons first-quarter barrage met with boister- NET PUNTING AVERAGE 40.0 38.3 ous approval from the 62,310 inside the refurbished Georgia Dome. TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 0 53 Ryan, who became the first rookie to start a season for the Falcons PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 5-30 7-68 since Steve Bartkowski in 1975, finished with a solid 161 passing yards FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 1-0 0-0 and 137.0 quarterback rating. Turner led a ground game that picked up TOUCHDOWNS 3 4 a franchise-record 318 rushing yards (7.6 yards per carry). The amount 3-3 4-4 of big plays resulted in plenty of big celebrations, as Falcons players EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 0-0 2-2 danced around the field almost nonstop during the game. 2-2-100% 2-4-50% In all, 10 young players got their first opening day start with the RED ZONE EFFICIENCY Falcons on Sunday. GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 2-2-100% 2-3-67% Some excitement was expected. SAFETIES 0 0 That easygoing mentality helped when the Lions started to make a TIME OF POSSESSION 30:53 29:07 run. The defense surrendered 14-second quarter points, but reasserted itself on the Lions opening drive of the third quarter with a Lawyer Milloy SCORING DRIVE interception. The 13-year veteran returned the ball 38 yards back to the Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Lions Falcons lions 49. Four plays later, Jason Elam kicked a 50-yard field goal to open a 24-14 lead. 1 13:33 M. Jenkins 62 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 0 7 The Falcons hit the accelerator again on the next possesion, using Falcons a 46-yard completion from Ryan to Roddy White to set up a 10-yard Falcons 1 7:33 M. Turner 66 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 0 14 touchdown run by Norwood. Turner and Norwood were nothing short of dominant in the second Falcons 1 3:20 M. Turner 5 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 0 21 half (158 rushing yards) as they darted through holes in the middle of the defense and delivered hits to tiring Lions defenders. The Falcons Lions 2 4:06 Kevin Smith 3 yd. run (J. Hanson kick) 7 21 talked throughout the off-season and training camp about estabilishing 2 0:16 R. Williams 21 yd. pass from J. Kitna (J. Hanson kick) 14 21 an identy based on toughness and a punishing run game. Mission Lions accomplished. 3 9:45 J. Elam 50 yd. Field Goal 14 24 With Norwood's 93 rushing yards, the Falcons came just seven Falcons yards away from having a 200- and 100-yard rusher for the first time in Falcons 3 5:57 J. Norwood 10 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 14 31 team history. Turner rushed for multiple touchdowns for the first time in his career, which started behind All-Pro LaDanian Tomlinson in San Lions 3 1:40 C. Fitzsimmons 1 yd. pass from J. Kitna (J. Hanson kick) 21 31 Diego. 4 10:23 J. Elam 25 yd. Field Goal 21 34 As a Charger, Turner often watched as Tomlinson re-wrote the Falcons record 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
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
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT Ryan Total
13 13
9
161
9
161
1/5 1/5
RECEIVING
No
Yds
White
2
54
Norwood
2
6
Jenkins
1
62
1 62t 0 1 62t 0
Avg 27.0
LG
Falcons vs. LIONS Starters
TD
RT 137.0 137.0
TD
46
0
3.0
3
0
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
FALCONS
LIONS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB FB RB
R. Williams J. Backus E. Mulitalo D. Raiola S. Peterman G. Foster M. Gaines C. Johnson J. Kitna J. Felton Kevin Smith
DEFENSE LE J. DeVries NT C. Darby UT C. Redding RE D. White WLB E. Sims MLB P. Lenon SLB A. Lewis LCB B. Kelly RCB T. Fisher FS G. Alexander SS D. Smith
DETROIT LIONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
Kevin Smith R. Johnson J. Kitna Total
16 3 2 21
48 14 0 62
3.0 4.7 0.0 3.0
10 12 8 12
1 0 0 1
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT Kitna
33 24
Total
33 24
262 3/16 262 3/16
2
38 1
103.3
2
38 1
103.3
RECEIVING
No
C. Johnson
7
107
15.3
38
Kevin Smith
4
32
8.0
12
0
S. McDonald
4
29
7.3
11
0
R. Williams M. Furrey M. Gaines D. Campbell C. Fitzsimmons
3 2 2 1 1
47 14 11 21 1
15.7 7.0 5.5 21.0 1.0
21t 12 6 21 1t
1 0 0 0 1
24
262
10.9
38
2
Total
Yds
RT
Avg
LG
TD 0
BUCCANEERS 24 FALCONS 9 September 14, 2008 Raymond James Stadium - Tampa, FL Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw the first interceptions of his TEAM STATISTICS career into an aggressive Buccaneers defense as the Falcons fell to Buccaneers Falcons their division rival 24-9 at Raymond James Stadium Sunday afternoon. 15 14 Ryan rebounded and the Birds showed incredible heart in the second TOTAL FIRST DOWNS THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 6-14-43% 7-19-37% half, but didn't overcome first-half miscues. Ryan misfired on his first nine pass attempts as the offense strug- FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-1-0% 0-1-0% gled to get into the powerful groove it established in a Week 1 victory TOTAL NET YARDS 311 234 over Detroit. The quarterback's first interception came on the first drive NET YARDS RUSHING 164 105 as a third-down throw went through the hands of rookie wide receiver NET YARDS PASSING 147 129 Harry Douglas and into the mitts of cornerback Aqib Talib. PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 31-18-0 33-13-2 Five plays later Brian Griese found tight end John Gilmore with a 5KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 5-2-1 4-3-1 yard touchdown pass. 5-46.6 5-36.2 Ryan didn't complete a pass until the 6:27 mark of the second quar- PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 0-0 0-0 ter and the team converted just 2-of-10 third downs in the first half. Balls FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED were dropped, Ryan was pressured and good plays were erased with NET PUNTING AVERAGE 38.0 36.2 holding penalties and shoe-string tackles. Ryan was 13 of 33 for 158 TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 24 43 yards in the game and was sacked four times. PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 11-94 8-60 The Falcons defense held the Bucs to 36 net rushing yards in the FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 1-1 2-0 first half -- the lowest total in a half since the 2006 season finale -- but TOUCHDOWNS 3 0 Tampa Bay did just enough in the run game to stay on the move. 3-3 0-0 Former Falcon Warrick Dunn rushed for 49 yards on 12 carries in the EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-1 3-3 game including a 17-yard touchdown. The score -- a gutsy draw play on FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 2-5-40% 0-3-0% third-and-goal from the 17 -- gave his team a 14-0 lead midway through RED ZONE EFFICIENCY the second quarter. GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 2-3-67% 0-2-0% Ryan's second interception of the day came on the next series. That SAFETIES 0 0 led to a 33-yard field goal by Matt Bryant. But the tide started to turn for TIME OF POSSESSION 30:22 29:38 the 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 the Bucs 25 with just more than two minutes to play. A key completion to SCORING DRIVE Roddy White on third-and-13 gave Jason Elam a chance at a 32-yard field goal, which he made to get the Falcons on the scoreboard. Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Bucs Falcons It was the longest return in Jennings' career and the longest for the team since 2006. The Falcons got on the board again with 6:43 remaining in the third quarter with a 27-yard field goal by Elam. The drive cov- Bucs 1 12:37 J. Gilmore 5 yd. pass from B. Griese (M. Bryant kick) 7 0 ered 75 yards in 13 plays as Ryan completed 6 of 7 passes for 62 yards. Bucs 2 11:08 W. Dunn 17 yd. run (M.Bryant kick) 14 0 The Bucs went on the move on next series, pushing the ball deep into Falcons territory. But, as he's done numerous times in his career, Bucs 2 9:07 M.Bryant 33 yd. Field Goal 17 0 Abraham made a big play. He sacked Griese and forced a fumble in the red zone that was recovered by Jason Jefferson. Defensive tackle Falcons 2 0:12 J. Elam 32 yd. Field Goal 17 3 Jonathan Babineaux also had a sack in the game. Abraham's sack is his 14th in the last 17 games. 3 1:03 J. Elam 27 yd. Field Goal 17 6 The play kicked off a key drive for the Birds, who drove into Bucs Falcons territory and took two cracks at the end zone with Ryan's arm. The quar4 5:12 J. Elam 24 yd. Field Goal 17 9 terback was forced to throw it away on both attempts, however, bring- Falcons ing in Elam for a 25-yard field goal which made the score 17-9 with 5:12 Bucs 4 3:08 E. Graham 68 yd. run (M.Bryant kick) 24 9 remaining. It wasn't a one-possession game for long. Bucs running back Earnest Graham notched a 68-yard touchdown run 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 end of the game.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
28
105
3.8
33
0
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT Ryan Total
33 13
158 4/29
33 13
158 4/29
RECEIVING
No
Yds
R. White
4
59
L. Robinson
4
H. Douglas
2
J. Norwood
0 0
Avg
23 2 23 2
LG
RT 29.6 29.6
TD
14.8
19
0
45
11.3
23
0
34
17.0
21
0
1
8
8.0
8
0
O. Mughelli
1
6
6.0
6
0
M. Turner
1
6
6.0
6
0
13
158
12.2
23
0
Total
Falcons at bucs Starters FALCONS
BUCS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham J. Jefferson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE TE WR QB RB
J. Galloway D. Penn A. Sears J. Faine J. Zuttah J. Trueblood A. Smith J. Gilmore A. Bryant B. Griese E. Graham
DEFENSE LE K. Carter DT C. Hovan DT J. Haye RE G. Adams SLB C. June MLB B. Ruud WLB D. Brooks LCB P. Buchanon SS J. Phillips FS T. Jackson RCB R. Barber
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
E. Graham W. Dunn B. Griese Total
15 12 1 28
116 49 -1 164
7.7 4.1 -1.0 5.9
68T 17T -1 68T
1 1 0 2
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT Griese
31 18
Total
31 18
160 2/13 160 2/13
RT
1
36 0
82.7
1
36 0
82.7
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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 A. Smith J. Galloway E. Graham M. Clayton
2 2 2 1 1
41 20 18 12 6
20.5 10.0 9.0 12.0 6.0
36 10 12 12 6
1 0 0 0 0
18
160
8.9
36
1
Total
Avg
LG
TD
falcons 38 chiefs 14 September 21, 2008 Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA Five touchdowns, 378 yards on offense, three interceptions, a TEAM STATISTICS defensive score and a tie for the NFC South lead. Chiefs The Birds improved to 2-0 at the Georgia Dome Sunday with an TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 17 impressive 38-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. 8-18-44% Running back Michael Turner rushed for 104 yards and a THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 1-2-50% career-high three touchdowns while rookie quarterback Matt Ryan FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 301 found Roddy White on a 70-yard touchdown as the offense recov- TOTAL NET YARDS NET YARDS RUSHING 184 ered from a rough outing in Week 2. 117 Defensive backs Erik Coleman, Brent Grimes and Chris NET YARDS PASSING Houston each recorded an interception off second-year quarterback PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 36-14-3 Tyler Thigpen, who was starting his first NFL game. Houston KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 3-0-0 returned his for a touchdown late in the game. The defense opened PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 6-51.5 the game by forcing five straight three-and-outs. FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 Turner's performance made a fitting encore after he introduced NET PUNTING AVERAGE 45.3 himself to the home crowd with a franchise record, 220 yards in a TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 14 Week 1 win over Detroit. He took a different route to success this PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 3-13 time, however, giving fans a taste of grit and persistence. He had FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 2-0 just two yards on his first four carries as the offense eased out of the TOUCHDOWNS 2 locker room. But, as if to prove patience can pay, Turner set the tone EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 2-2 on the next carry. 0-1 The stout running back broke a tackle and spun away from FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 2-4-50% another on his way to a 38-yard run with 6:44 remaining in the open- RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 1-2-50% ing quarter. A 30-yard completion from Ryan to Jerious Norwood GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 0 later in the drive set Turner up for a touchdown run and a 7-0 SAFETIES TIME OF POSSESSION 29:50 Falcons lead. Turner's three rushing touchdowns tied for the second-most in franchise history while Ryan's big completion to White set the team SCORING DRIVE mark for longest scoring pass by a rookie. It also marked the longest reception of White's career. Team Qtr Time Scoring Play White finished the day with five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown. Ryan didn't throw an interception for the second time 1 3:20 M. Turner 4 yd. run (J. Elam kick) this season and completed 12-of-18 passes for 192 yards (120.6 Falcons passer rating). Falcons 1 0:07 R. White 70 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) The defense held the Chiefs to just 7 yards and zero first downs in the first quarter while Coleman and Grimes interceptions led to a Falcons 2 9:15 J. Elam 27 yd. Field Goal Jason Elam field goal and the second of Turner's touchdowns. Defensive end John Abraham chipped in with two sacks and a Falcons 2 2:11 M. Turner 1 yd. run (J. Elam kick) forced fumble. He now leads the league with six sacks through three Chiefs 2 0:03 D. Bowe 15 yd. pass from T. Thigpen (N. Novak kick) games. Kansas City managed consecutive touchdown drives to pull Chiefs 3 9:49 L. Johnson 1 yd. run (N. Novak kick) within 14 points with 9:42 remaining in the third quarter. But Turner and the offense responded, putting together a 60Falcons 3 5:13 M. Turner 2 yd. run (J. Elam kick) yard drive that ended with a third-quarter touchdown effectively putting the game away. The defense kept up the pressure through the Falcons 4 1:01 C. Houston 10 yd. interception return (J. Elam kick) end of the game, keeping the Chiefs out of the end zone with a fourth-down tackle by rookie Curtis Lofton and Houston's interception return.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
M. Turner
23
104
4.5
38
3
J. Norwood
0
11
75
6.8
44
M. Ryan
1
15
15.0
15
0
H. Douglas
1
-8
-8.0
-8
0
36
186
5.2
44
3
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
Ryan
18 12
192
0/0
1 70T 0
120.6
Total
18 12
192
0/0
1 70T 0
120.6
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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
12
192
16.0
70T
1
Total
Avg
LG
TD
Falcons vs. chiefs Starters FALCONS
CHIEFS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
D. Bowe B. Albert B. Waters R. Niswanger A. Jones D. McIntosh T. Gonzalez D. Darling T. Thigpen L. Johnson M. Cox
DEFENSE LE T. McBride DT T. Tyler DT G. Dorsey RE T. Hali MLB P. Thomas OLB D. Johnson OLB D. Edwards RCB B. Flowers LCB B. Carr FS J. Page SS B. Pollard
Falcons 16 6-13-46% 0-0-0% 378 186 192 18-12-0 7-0-0 6-43.2 0-0 40.8 88 4-22 1-1 5 5-5 1-1 3-4-75% 3-3-100% 0 30:10
Chiefs Falcons 0
7
0
14
0
17
0
24
7
24
14
24
14
31
14
38
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
L. Johnson J. Charles T. Thigpen K. Smith Total
24 7 1 1 33
121 38 18 7 184
5.0 5.4 18.0 7.0 5.6
48 13 18 7 48
1 0 0 0 1
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT Thigpen
36 14
Total
36 14
128
2/11
128 2/11
RT
1 15T 3
23.8
1 15T 3
23.8
RECEIVING
No
Yds
D. Bowe
4
43
10.8
15T
T. Gonzalez
4
35
8.8
12
0
J. Charles
3
24
8.0
13
0
D. Darling K. Smith M. Hagans
1 1 1
11 8 7
11.0 8.0 7.0
11 8 7
0 0 0
14
128
9.1
15T
1
Total
Avg
LG
TD 1
panthers 24 falcons 9 September 28, 2008 Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC The Falcons hit the road this week determined to correct the misTEAM STATISTICS takes that plagued them in their first division game. Panthers Falcons The Falcons (2-2, 0-2) found a way to stick around for three quar19 17 ters in Sunday's game at Bank of America Stadium but injuries, dropped TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 3-12-25% 2-13-15% passes and untimely penalties filled the afternoon. Atlanta lost starting THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% 0-2-0% strong safety Lawyer Milloy in the first half after he took a shot to the FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 401 268 ribs and played the entire game without starting left tackle Sam Baker. TOTAL NET YARDS 107 118 Holding calls extended the field on offense while six dropped pass- NET YARDS RUSHING 294 150 es kept the team from picking up momentum. The Falcons finished the NET YARDS PASSING day 2-of-13 on third down. PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 29-20-0 41-21-0 Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme finished the day 20-of-29 for KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 5-4-3 4-3-1 294 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He worked heavily against Falcons PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 6-40.8 6-42.3 cornerback Brent Grimes with wide receiver Mushin Muhammad (eight FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 catches for 147 yards and a score). Later in the game Delhomme NET PUNTING AVERAGE 30.0 34.8 worked the middle of the field attacking safeties Erik Coleman and TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 5 25 Jamaal Fudge, who replaced Milloy. PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 11-90 5-45 Wide receiver Steve Smith, in his second game back after a twoFUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 0-0 0-0 game suspension ran through the Falcons secondary to get open on a TOUCHDOWNS 3 0 56-yard touchdown play. 3-3 0-0 The Panthers (3-1, 1-0) lost starting offensive tackles Jordan Gross EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-1 3-3 and Jeff Otah in the game to injury and also went several series with- FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-1-100% 0-2-0% out starting cornerback Ken Lucas. But that didn't stop the NFC South RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 0-0-0% leaders from imposing their will on both sides of the ball and put up GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY SAFETIES 0 0 more than 400 yards of total offense. 32:15 27:45 Atlanta got the ball to start and escaped a game-changing play from TIME OF POSSESSION the Panthers defense. Ryan's first pass attempt was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Richard Marshall but the play was SCORING DRIVE reversed after a roughing the passer call on defensive end Julius Peppers. Another personal foul penalty helped the Falcons move into Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Panthers Falcons Panthers territory but the team would be forced to punt. The Panthers answered with an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown run by rookie Jonathan Stewart. Panthers 1 7:13 J. Stewart 8 yd. run (J. Kasay kick) 7 0 Unlike two weeks ago in Tampa, the Falcons clawed back earlier in the game. The Birds didn't convert a third down in the first half, but a Falcons 1 1:33 J. Elam 33 yd. Field Goal 7 3 no-huddle offense kept the Panthers off balance enough to create scoring opportunities. Falcons 2 12:12 J. Elam 44 yd. Field Goal 7 6 Unfortunately those scores came from the foot of Jason Elam. The Falcons stalled in the red zone as league rushing leader Michael Turner Panthers 2 2:31 S. Smith 56 yd. pass from J. Delhomme (J. Kasay kick) 14 6 was held to 56 yards on the ground. The veteran kicker connected on field goals of 33, 44 and 44 yards Falcons 2 0:37 J. Elam 44 yd. Field Goal 14 9 in 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 - Panthers 3 1:39 J. Kasay 44 yd. Field Goal 17 9 - a field goal and the game-clinching touchdown pass to Muhammad. The Falcons were benefactors of strong special teams play Panthers 4 12:03 M Muhammad 36 yd. pass from J. Delhomme (J. Kasay kick) 24 9 throughout the game and got select strikes on offense. Defensive end John 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
M. Turner
18
56
3.1
10
0
J. Norwood
3
51
17.0
40
0
M. Ryan
2
11
5.5
6
0
23
118
5.1
40
0
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
Ryan
41 21
158
2/8
0
23 0
60.8
Total
41 21
158
2/8
0
23 0
60.8
RECEIVING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
21
158
7.5
23
0
Total
Falcons at panthers Starters FALCONS
PANTHERS
OFFENSE TE LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
J. Peelle T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner J. Snelling
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
S. Smith J. Gross T. Wharton R. Kalil K. Vincent J. Otah J. King M. Muhammad J. Delhomme D. Williams B. Hoover
DEFENSE LE T. Brayton DT M. Kemoeatu DT D. Lewis RE J. Peppers SLB N. Diggs MLB J. Beason WLB T. Davis LCB C. Gamble RCB K. Lucas SS C. Harris FS C. Godfrey
CAROLINA PANTHERS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
D. Williams J. Stewart J. McCown Total
16 14 3 33
57 52 -2 107
3.6 3.7 -0.7 3.2
21 16 0 21
0 1 0 1
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT Delhomme 29 20 Total
294
29 20
294
0/0 0/0
2 56T 0
124.8
2 56T 0
124.8
RECEIVING
No
M. Muhammad
8
147
18.4
36T
S. Smith
6
96
16.0
56T
1
D. Hackett
2
24
12.0
12
0
D. Rosario D. Williams
2 2
18 9
9.0 4.5
12 7
0 0
20
294
14.7
56T
2
Total
Yds
RT
Avg
LG
TD 1
falcons 27 packers 24 October 5, 2008 Lambeau Field - Green Bay, WI On a field that's seen its share of great quarterback-receiver combinaTEAM STATISTICS tions Matt Ryan and Roddy White introduced themselves to the NFL. Packers Falcons The Falcons rookie quarterback and veteran wide receiver went to work 21 22 at historic Lambeau Field Sunday afternoon leading their team to a 27-24 vic- TOTAL FIRST DOWNS tory over the Green Bay Packers. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 7-13-54% 6-12-50% The game came down to fourth-quarter heroics, but overall Ryan engi- FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% 1-1-100% neered the best game of his short career, completing 16 of 26 passes for 194 408 370 yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores went to White, who finished TOTAL NET YARDS NET YARDS RUSHING 104 176 the day with eight catches for 132 yards, all in the first half. 304 194 The duo started quickly, hooking up for 37 yards on the first snap of the NET YARDS PASSING game. Nine plays later Ryan found tight end Justin Peelle in the end zone for PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 37-25-1 26-16-1 an early touchdown. The score -- symbolically and literally -- ended earlier KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 5-3-1 6-1-1 problems that plagued the Falcons in two previous road games. Ryan finished PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 3-41.0 3-41.7 4-of-4 on the opening drive and found Peelle on a fourth-and-goal play -- an FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 example of the team's desire to succeed in the red zone. 40.0 41.7 Atlanta drove down the field on the next possession, but a dropped pass NET PUNTING AVERAGE killed the drive before entering the red zone. Jason Elam added points with TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 0 19 4:20 left in the first quarter with a 42-yard field goal. PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 9-97 2-15 On defense the Falcons found ways to harass quarterback Aaron FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 0-0 1-0 Rodgers. Atlanta recorded two sacks (Grady Jackson and John Abraham) and 3 3 did enough early to keep Green Bay off balance. The Packers opened the TOUCHDOWNS 3-3 3-3 game with two three-and-out possessions and the Falcons dominated the first EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS quarter (8-0 on first downs, four plays of 18 yards or more on offense, 147-10 FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-2 2-2 on net offensive yards and 75-7 on rushing yards). RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 2-3-67% Rodgers threw for more than 300 yards in the game, but most of that GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 2-2-100% came in the fourth quarter as he put together drives to keep attacking a SAFETIES 0 0 Falcons lead. 31:17 28:43 The Falcons were hurt by the big play in Sunday's game, including a 44- TIME OF POSSESSION yard touchdown from Rodgers to Donald Driver. That ended an eight-play, 87yard scoring drive for the Packers pulled the home team to within three points SCORING DRIVE in the first half. But Ryan responded with a drive of his own, piloting the Falcons on a a Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Packers Falcons nine-play, 90-yard march that ended with the 22-yard touchdown pass to White. 1 9:53 J. Peelle 1 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 0 7 As the game continued, penalties and special teams play did more for the Falcons Falcons' cause. 1 4:15 J. Elam 42 yd. Field Goal 0 10 Punter Michael Koenen placed two punts inside the Packers 5 yard line Falcons and a holding call on the Packers special teams unit wiped a field goal off the Packers 2 9:42 D. Driver 44 yd. pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby) 7 10 board for Mason Crosby. The kicker tried again, but missed from 53 yards out with 1:15 remaining in the first half. Green Bay was penalized nine times for Falcons 2 6:02 R. White 22 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 7 17 97 yards in the game. The 17-7 score would hold until the 0:32 mark of the third quarter when Packers 3 0:27 M. Crosby 50 yd. Field Goal 10 17 Crosby connected on a 50-yard attempt. The Falcons marched down the field on the next drive helped by a third-down catch by Michael Jenkins that went Packers 4 10:08 G. Jennings 25 yd. pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby kick) 17 17 for 31 yards into Packers territory. A personal foul moved the ball to the Green Bay 12 where Ryan had tight end Ben Hartsock open in the end zone. But the Falcons 4 7:19 J. Elam 41 yd. Field Goal 17 20 quarterback floated the ball into the hands of cornerack Tramon Williams. 4 3:35 M. Turner 2 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 17 27 Four plays later Rodgers found Greg Jennings in the back of the end Falcons zone to tie the game with 10:08 to play. 4 1:56 D. Lee 4 yd. pass from A. Rodgers (M. Crosby kick) 24 27 Faced with another chance to correct some previous wrongs, the Falcons Packers took 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 with 4:33 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
1
9
9.0
9
0
36
176
4.9
22
1
O. Mughelli Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT M. Ryan Total
26 16
194
26 16
194
0/0 0/0
2 2
37 1
LG
94.1 94.1
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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
16
194
12.1
37
2
Total
Avg
37 1
RT
TD
Falcons at packers Starters FALCONS
PACKERS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
G. Jennings C. Clifton D. Colledge S. Wells J. Spitz M. Tauscher D. Lee D. Driver A. Rodgers R. Grant J. Kuhn
GREEN BAY PACKERS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
R. Grant B. Jackson D. Driver A. Rodgers Total
18 2 1 2 23
83 11 6 4 104
4.6 5.5 6.0 2.0 4.5
14 9 6 3 14
0 0 0 0 0
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT A. Rodgers 37 25 Total
313
37 25
313
2/9 2/9
RT
3 44T 1
109.4
3 44T 1
109.4
RECEIVING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
B. Jackson
5
12
2.4
7
0
DEFENSE
G. Jennings
4
87
21.8
36
1
LE A. Kampman DT R. Pickett DT J. Jolly RE M. Montgomery SLB B. Poppinga MLB N. Barnett WLB A. Hawk LCB C. Woodson RCB T. Williams SS C. Peprah FS N. Collins
T. Humphrey
4
67
16.8
37
0
D. Lee D. Driver R. Martin J. Nelson J. Jones
4 3 3 1 1
25 68 31 14 9
6.3 22.7 10.3 14.0 9.0
10 44T 14 14 9
1 1 0 0 0
25
313
12.5
44T
3
Total
TD
falcons 22 bears 20 October 12, 2008 Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA His shot at redemption at hand, kicker Jason Elam left little doubt TEAM STATISTICS about the power in his 48-yard, game-winning field goal. The kick jetted Bears Falcons off his 38-year-old foot and through the uprights as time expired to give the Falcons a thrilling 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears. TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 22 18 The 16-year veteran's celebration was interrupted by a swarm of THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 9-16-56% 6-14-43% teammates near midfield. It was his fifth successful kick of the day but 1-2-50% 0-0-0% just moments before he missed a kick that could have iced the game. FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 361 376 Chicago came off the miscue with a 77-yard touchdown drive to take a TOTAL NET YARDS 20-19 lead with 11 seconds to play. But a 9-yard return off a short kick- NET YARDS RUSHING 79 75 off by Harry Dougals and a 26-yard strike from rookie quarterback Matt NET YARDS PASSING 282 301 Ryan to Michael Jenkins set Elam up for the game-winner with 1 secPASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 43-26-0 30-22-0 ond left. 5-3-0 6-0-0 Ryan finished the game 22-of-30 for a career-high 301 passing KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK yards. He also had a key fourth-quarter touchdown to Roddy White, PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 3-43.3 2-41.0 who posted his second-straight 100-yard receiving game. With the vic- FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 tory the Birds (4-2) match the win total from all of 2007 and go into the NET PUNTING AVERAGE 41.3 31.0 bye week on a winning note. 0 6 Ryan led an efficient offense that faced off against a Bears team TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) that entered the game ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing defense. The PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 6-57 6-46 Falcons scored on three of their first four possessions -- all field goals - FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 1-1 1-1 - and controlled the ball for more than 19 minutes in the first half. TOUCHDOWNS 2 1 Chicago sported trademark blitz looks throughout the game but the 2-2 1-1 Falcons offensive line did not allow a sack for a second week in a row. EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS The rookie found five different receivers and performed regular FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 2-2 5-6 Houdini-like acts to find open players down the field for third-down con- RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 2-5-40% 1-4-25% versions. Fellow rookie Douglas caught five passes for 96 yards includGOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 0-1-0% 1-1-100% ing a 47-yard strike on third down that set up a 3-yard scoring toss to SAFETIES 0 0 White with 13:25 remaining. 29:10 30:50 Ryan opened the game eight of eight for 107 yards and captained TIME OF POSSESSION nearly identical scoring drives in the first quarter, leading the team on 48- and 49-yard marches that ended with field goals. SCORING DRIVE A chance at a touchdown came with 9:16 remaining in the first half after a curious turn of events near the goal line. A third-down run by Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Bears Falcons Jerious Norwood came up short and ended with a fumble. Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris recovered but lost the ball before he was 1 9:13 J. Elam 29 yd. Field Goal 0 3 touched down. Jason Snelling recovered the ball for the Falcons, who Falcons got a fresh set of downs. 1 0:59 J. Elam 48 yd. Field Goal 0 6 But the Birds didn't convert. A touchdown pass to White was taken Falcons off the board after a penalty and the offense settled for another Elam Falcons 2 7:49 J. Elam 32 yd. Field Goal 0 9 field goal and a 9-0 advantage. The defense made up for an early lack of offensive production by Bears 2 4:02 R. Gould 36 yd. Field Goal 3 9 delivering on the statistical slugfest promised between the two teams. Running back Matt Forte was held to 20 rushing yards in the first half Falcons 3 10:36 J. Elam 41 yd. Field Goal 3 12 and the Bears were held scoreless until late in the second quarter. Defensive end Jamaal Anderson paced a defense that fed off the Bears 3 2:24 M. Forte 3 yd. run (R. Gould kick) 10 12 crowd's energy. He finished with four tackles (two for loss) and the first 4 13:25 R. White 3 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 10 19 sack of his two-year career. Anderson also had two pass deflections on Falcons the Bears' first drive of the second quarter. Bears 4 4:00 R. Gould 32 yd. Field Goal 13 19 The Falcons offense started the second half with a no-huddle offense and added another Elam field goal to take a 12-3 lead. Chicago 4 0:11 R. Davis 17 yd. pass from K. Orton (R. Gould kick) 20 19 stuck with the running game and added a touchdown from Forte with Bears 2:24 remaining in the third quarter. Falcons 4 0:00 J. Elam 48 yd. Field Goal 20 22 The Falcons added a fourth-down stop at the goal line with 7:59 in the 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. Norwood returned 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 drive for the go-ahead touchdown but the Falcons didn't give up with time on the clock.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
30
75
2.5
23
0
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT M. Ryan Total
30 22
301
30 22
RECEIVING
301
0/0 0/0
1 1
Avg
47 0 47 0
LG
RT 116.1 116.1
No
Yds
TD
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
22
301
13.7
47
1
Total
Falcons vs. bears Starters FALCONS
BEARS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE TE QB RB FB
M. Jenkins S. Baker J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle B. Hartsock M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking B. Grimes C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
R. Davis J. St. Clair J. Beekman O. Kreutz R. Garza J. Tait D. Clark M. Booker K. Orton M. Forte J. McKie
DEFENSE LE A. Ogunleye DT I. Idonije NT D. Dvoracek RE A. Brown WLB L. Briggs MLB B. Urlacher SLB H. Hillenmeyer LCB C. Tillman RCB C. Graham SS K. Payne FS M. Brown
CHICAGO BEARS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
M. Forte K. Jones J. McKie Total
20 2 1 23
76 3 0 79
3.8 1.5 0.0 3.4
20 3 0 20
1 0 0 1
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT K. Orton
43 26
Total
43 26
286 286
1/4 1/4
RT
1
22 0
87.9
1
22 0
87.9
RECEIVING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
D. Hester
6
87
14.5
17
TD 0
D. Clark
5
50
10.0
13
0
M. Forte
5
34
6.8
11
0
R. Davis G. Olsen M. Booker
4 3 3
41 41 33
10.3 13.7 11.0
17T 22 15
1 0 0
26
286
11.0
22
1
Total
eagles 27 falcons 14 October 26, 2008 Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia, PA The Falcons spent much of the first half keeping McNabb and the Eagles high-flying offense on the ground. Atlanta didn't allow a firstquarter point for the fifth time this season and picked up two sacks, a forced fumble and a turnover in the first 30 minutes. But McNabb rebounded toward the end of the second quarter and got Pro Bowler Brian Westbrook involved in the offense late to send the Birds back to Atlanta with a 27-14 defeat. The Pro Bowl quarterback threw for 253 yards and rushed for a touchdown in the game. The Birds rattled McNabb in the early going, holding the Eagles to a 33-percent success rate on third down and coming away with a pair of sacks -- one from upstart defensive end Jamaal Anderson -- in the first half. Rookie linebacker Curtis Lofton would later force a fumble. Ryan gave the Falcons an early lead with 8:56 remaining in the first half when he threaded a pass between two Eagles defenders and into the hands of Roddy White. White scampered toward the end zone for a 55-yard score and a 7-0 lead. But Philadelphia responded with 20 unanswered points, including scoring drives of 60, 70 and 69 yards. Twice McNabb scrambled for key first downs. The Falcons did not record a sack in the second half. McNabb turned from prolific passer to game-manager as the afternoon progressed, finding openings in the Falcons zone defense for short to medium gains and handing the ball off to Westbrook. The AllPro rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries in the first half and finished with 22 carries for 167 yards. He also had six catches for 42 yards, one of six Eagles receivers with two or more catches. The Falcons run game sputtered and suffered from untimely penalties. Starting left tackle Sam Baker missed the game with a hip injury and was replaced by Todd Weiner. Weiner would leave with an injury and was replaced by Quinn Ojinnaka. Michael Turner rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries. Ryan threw for 277 yards in his seventh career start but also had a pair of interceptions. The defense held the Eagles after the first turnover but Ryan's second mistake came in the end zone, eliminating a redzone 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 offense into the red zone on the next series and found White with a second touchdown with less than four minutes to play. Trailing 20-14, the Falcons defense stepped up with a key threeand-out but an odd turn of events kept the Birds offense from getting a shot at the win. Return man Adam Jennings decided at the last second not to field the punt after the Eagles' three-and-out drive. Officials ruled Jennings touched the ball and the muffed punt was recovered by the Eagles. The Falcons did not have a timeout left and, by rule, could not challenge the play. Three plays later Westbrook rushed over the left side for a 39-yard,
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
24
77
3.2
22
0
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT M. Ryan Total
44 23
277 2/19
44 23
RECEIVING
277 2/19
2 55T 2 2 55T 2
Avg
LG
RT 68.1 68.1
No
Yds
TD
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
23
277
12.0
55T
2
Total
TEAM STATISTICS
Team
Qtr Time Scoring Play
2
8:56
R. White 55 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick)
0
7
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
Falcons
4
3:55
R. White 8 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick)
20
14
Eagles
4
1:51
B. Westbrook 39 yd. run (D. Akers kick)
27
14
game-clinching touchdown.
EAGLES
OFFENSE
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
Eagles Falcons
Falcons
FALCONS J. Rader T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner J. Peelle
Falcons 19 6-16-38% 1-2-50% 335 77 258 44-23-2 3-0-0 7-37.7 0-0 38.4 22 6-51 1-1 2 2-2 0-0 1-2-50% 1-2-50% 0 27:39
SCORING DRIVE
Falcons at eagles Starters
TE LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB TE
Eagles 24 3-12-25% 0-0-0% 432 192 240 34-19-0 5-0-0 7-40.9 0-0 37.7 -5 7-70 1-1 3 3-3 2-2 2-4-50% 1-2-50% 0 32:21
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY TOTAL NET YARDS NET YARDS RUSHING NET YARDS PASSING PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED NET PUNTING AVERAGE TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST TOUCHDOWNS EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS RED ZONE EFFICIENCY GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY SAFETIES TIME OF POSSESSION
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR TE RB QB
K. Curtis T. Thomas T. Herremans J. Jackson M. Jean-Gilles J. Runyan L. Smith D. Jackson B. Celek B. Westbrook D. McNabb
DEFENSE LE J. Parker DT M. Patterson DT B. Bunkley RE T. Cole WLB O. Gaither MLB S. Bradley SLB C. Gocong LCB A. Samuel RCB S. Brown SS Q. Mikell FS B. Dawkins
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
B. Westbrook D. McNabb C. Buckhalter Total
22 6 4 32
167 25 0 192
7.6 4.2 0.0 6.0
39T 12 2 39T
2 1 0 3
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT D. McNabb 34 19 Total
253 2/13
34 19
253 2/13
RT
0
30 0
79.7
0
30 0
79.7
RECEIVING
No
Yds
Avg
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 C. Buckhalter B. Celek H. Baskett
2 2 2 1
29 29 28 8
14.5 14.5 14.0 8.0
21 27 20 8
0 0 0 0
19
253
13.3
30
0
Total
LG
TD
FALCONS 24 RAIDERS 0 November 2, 2008 Alameda County Coliseum - Oakland, CA Raider Nation got loud throughout Sunday's game against Atlanta TEAM STATISTICS at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Falcons just made sure to Raiders convert early screams and hisses to a chorus of boos against the home TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 3 team. 1-9-11% The Birds took a big lead into halftime and cruised to a 24-0 victo- THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-1-0% ry over the Silver and Black. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw two FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 77 first-half touchdowns to wide receiver Michael Jenkins as Atlanta out- TOTAL NET YARDS 67 gained Oakland in total yards 309 to minus-2 in the opening two quar- NET YARDS RUSHING NET YARDS PASSING 10 ters. They would finish the game with a 453-77 advantage. The Raiders (2-6) ran just 13 offensive plays in the first half, three PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 19-6-1 of which ended with John Abraham sacks. KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 1-1-0 Atlanta (5-3) kept former Falcon DeAngleo Hall and the rest of the PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 6-50.2 Raiders defense off balance with a mixture of techniques that worked in FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 four previous victories: power running, working without a huddle, and NET PUNTING AVERAGE 48.0 moving players around before the snap. TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 0 It worked well, as the Falcons have now outscored opponents 68PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 7-55 14 in the first quarter and surpassed last season's win total. FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 2-1 Ryan piloted the Falcons on long scoring drives of 88, 77, and 88 TOUCHDOWNS 0 yards in the game. The team chewed clock in the second half with a 0-0 steady dose of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood, who combined for EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 0-0 202 rushing yards and a touchdown. 0-1-0% Turner talked earlier in the week about bulldozing over teams that RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% loaded up near the line of scrimmage to stop the run. He did most of the GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 0 heavy-hitting between the tackles, breaking away from defenders and SAFETIES 14:45 gaining 139 yards on 31 carries. Second-year man Jason Snelling TIME OF POSSESSION spelled Turner late in the game and picked up an additional 47 yards. The Birds picked up 30 first downs. The Raiders, three. Atlanta controlled the ball for more than 45 minutes -- the second highest total in the NFL since 1991. SCORING DRIVE Abraham led an aggressive defense that feasted on opportunities and forced the Raiders offense into mistake after mistake. In the Team Qtr Time Scoring Play process, 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 the 1 8:56 M. Jenkins 37 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) half. The rookie finished the game with the highest completion percent- Falcons age of his career (77.3). He threw for 220 yards and posted a quarterback rating of 138.4. He also completed passes to eight different Falcons 1 5:02 J. Norwood 12 yd. run (J. Elam kick) receivers. In fact, Atlanta's defense stepped up each time the Raiders began to put a drive together. 2 12:54 M. Jenkins 27 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux recovered a fumble with 8:08 Falcons remaining in the third quarter that ended a drive. A scramble by quarterback JaMarcus Russell put the Raiders in scoring range early in the 2 6:29 J. Elam 48 yd. Field Goal fourth quarter but two tackles for loss and an incompletion on fourth- Falcons and-17 gave the ball back to Atlanta. Safety Erik Coleman intercepted Russell in the end zone with 7:27 left to preserve shutout.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
57
252
4.4
16
1
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT M. Ryan Total
22 17
220 3/19
22 17
220 3/19
2 37T 0 2 37T 0
Avg
LG
RT 138.4 138.4
RECEIVING
No
Yds
R. White
5
54
10.8
17
TD 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
17
220
12.9
37T
2
Total
Falcons at RAIDERS Starters FALCONS
RAIDERS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE TE QB FB RB
R. White T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock J. Peelle M. Ryan O. Mughelli M. Turner
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB FB RB
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB CB CB SS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston C. Jackson L. Milloy
J. Walker K. Harris R. Gallery J. Grove C. Carlisle C. Green Z. Miller C. Schilens J. Russell L. Lawton J. Fargas
DEFENSE DE DT DT RE OLB MLB OLB CB CB FS SS
K. Edwards T. Kelly G. Warren J. Richardson R. Thomas K. Morrison T. Howard D. Hall N. Asomugha H. Eugene G. Wilson
Falcons 30 9-17-53% 1-2-50% 453 252 201 22-17-0 5-2-0 2-16.5 0-0 16.5 13 4-40 1-1 3 3-3 1-2 2-4-50% 0-0-0% 0 45:15
Raiders Falcons
0
7
0
14
0
21
0
24
OAKLAND RAIDERS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
J. Russell J. Fargas M. Bush Total
2 6 3 11
46 23 -2 67
23.0 3.8 -0.7 6.1
24 13 5 24
0 0 0 0
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT J. Russell 19
6
Total
6
19
31 4/21 31 4/21
0
7
0
7
RT
1
19.0
1
19.0
RECEIVING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
M. Bush
3
15
5.0
6
TD 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 34 saints 20 November 9, 2008 The Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA Members of the Falcons secondary heard talk about the potency of TEAM STATISTICS the Saints passing game all week. Saints Falcons That doesn't mean it affected them. TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 25 18 The Birds (6-3) met the challenges presented by the Saints top- THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 7-15-47% 5-11-45% ranked offense Sunday at the Georgia Dome and came away with a 34- FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 2-3-67% 0-0-0% 20 victory. The win snaps a four-game losing streak to the Saints and TOTAL NET YARDS 521 361 keeps the Falcons in the middle of the NFC playoff picture. NET YARDS RUSHING 105 113 Safety Erik Coleman intercepted Saints quarterback Drew Brees on NET YARDS PASSING 416 248 his first attempt of the afternoon to set the tone for one of the best PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 58-31-3 23-16-0 defensive performances of the year. KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 4-1-1 7-4-2 Nine Falcons finished with at least one pass defensed and Brees PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 3-48.3 4-35.3 was held to his lowest completion rate of the season (53.4 percent). The FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 37.3 35.3 Birds also recorded two second-half interceptions, one returned 95 NET PUNTING AVERAGE TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 0 160 yards for a touchdown by rookie Chevis Jackson. 7-45 2-25 The Saints did not score a touchdown in the first half for the first PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 1-0 0-0 time this season. 2 4 Cornerback Domonique Foxworth knocked away three passes in TOUCHDOWNS 2-2 4-4 the first quarter, including a shot to the end zone intended for Marques EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 2-2 2-2 Coleston with 3:42 left in the opening quarter. 1-4-25% 2-4-50% The Falcons didn't have an issue scoring early and improved to 4- RED ZONE EFFICIENCY GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 0-1-0% 1-2-50% 0 at the Dome this season. SAFETIES 0 0 Quarterback Matt Ryan finished 16-of-23 for 248 yards and a pair TIME OF POSSESSION 28:48 31:12 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 SCORING DRIVE 80-yard drive into the second quarter that ended with a Michael Turner touchdown run. Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Saints Falcons The Saints managed a pair of field goals in the first half after scorFalcons 1 9:07 R. White 16 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 0 7 ing 107 first-half points in the previous eight games. They struggled because each time the Falcons defense took the Saints 1 2:15 G. Hartley 24 yd. Field Goal 3 7 field a new face made plays. Falcons 2 12:04 M. Turner 2 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 3 14 Defensive end John Abraham picked up his 11th sack of the season on a key third-down stop in the first half. Chris Houston recorded Saints 2 8:33 G. Hartley 44 yd. Field Goal 6 14 an interception in the end zone that put down a fourth-quarter scoring Falcons 2 3:05 J. Elam 22 yd. Field Goal 6 17 threat. Linebacker Michael Boley had two pass breakups in one secFalcons 3 2:06 J. Elam 27 yd. Field Goal 6 20 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 Falcons 4 14:40 J. Norwood 67 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 6 27 Jason Elam. Elam added another score in the third quarter but the Saints 4 9:54 D. McAllister 15 yd. pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley kick) 13 27 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 Falcons 4 1:17 C. Jackson 95 yd. interception return (J. Elam kick) 13 34 touchdown. Saints 4 0:00 L. Moore 32 yd. pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley kick) 20 34 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
36
113
3.1
20
1
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
M. Ryan
23 16
248
0/0
2 67T 0
134.0
Total
23 16
248
0/0
2 67T 0
134.0
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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 Total
Avg
LG
TD
1
0
0.0
0
0
16
248
15.5
67T
2
Falcons vs. saints Starters FALCONS
SAINTS
OFFENSE TE LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB FB RB
J. Peelle T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan O. Mughelli M. Turner
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB LCB RCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking D. Foxworth C. Houston L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB TE RB
M. Colston J. Brown C. Nicks M. Lehr J. Evans J. Stinchcomb M. Campbell D. Henderson D. Brees J. Shockey D. McAllister
DEFENSE NT K. Clancy DT S. Ellis RDE W. Smith SLB S. Fujita MLB J. Vilma WLB S. Shanle LCB M. McKenzie SS R. Harper FS K. Kaesviharn RCB R. Gay DE B. McCray
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
D. Henderson P. Thomas A. Stecker D. McAllister D. Brees Total
1 6 3 5 2 17
30 26 21 18 10 105
30.0 4.3 7.0 3.6 5.0 6.2
30 9 12 7 6 30
0 0 0 0 0 0
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT D. Brees
58 31
Total
58 31
422 422
1/6 1/6
2
48 3
66.9
2
48 3
66.9
RECEIVING
No
M. Colston
7
140
20.0
48
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
31
422
13.6
48
2
Total
Yds
RT
Avg
LG
TD 0
broncos 24 falcons 20 November 16, 2008 The Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA Running back Michael Turner rushed for two touchdowns, including TEAM STATISTICS a 28-yard score to give the Falcons a fourth-quarter lead, but it wasn't Broncos Falcons enough as the Denver Broncos left the Georgia Dome Sunday after- TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 19 20 noon with a 24-20 win. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 7-12-58% 11-18-61% Turner's last score of the day put the Falcons up 20-17 with 10:41 FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-% 0-1-0% remaining. That brought a sold-out crowd to life but they could do noth- TOTAL NET YARDS 332 364 ing but watch as Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler piloted his team on a NET YARDS RUSHING 124 114 10-play, 86-yard drive into the red zone. NET YARDS PASSING 208 250 Cutler hit tight end Daniel Graham with a 9-yard pass for a touch- PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 27-19-0 33-20-1 down with 5:35 remaining. The Falcons moved the ball to the Denver KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 5-2-0 5-2-0 45 and took a shot to the end zone, but Matt Ryan's last-chance pass PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 3-42.3 2-31.0 on fourth-and-18 flew over the head of wide receiver Michael Jenkins. FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 39.3 31.0 Atlanta trailed twice in the game but fought back with gritty running NET PUNTING AVERAGE 5 9 from Turner, who finished with 81 rushing yards, and clutch plays from TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 6-36 5-36 Ryan and his receivers. The team was 11-of-18 on third down (61 per- PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 0-0 0-0 cent) but didn't stay on the field when it mattered most. 3 2 The defense also played well in spurts, closing out the first half by TOUCHDOWNS EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 3-3 2-2 forcing four-straight three-and-outs. 1-2 2-2 Denver (6-4) started the game with a score on the opening drive FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 3-4-75% 1-2-50% when reserve fullback Peyton Hillis slammed into the end zone from 7 RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 2-3-67% 1-1-100% yards out. Atlanta (6-4) tried to catch a banged-up Broncos defense off GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY SAFETIES 0 0 guard in the passing game but struggled out of the gate. The Falcons TIME OF POSSESSION 26:18 33:42 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 SCORING DRIVE Falcons went on the move. Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Broncos Falcons 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 1 9:26 P. Hillis 7 yd. run (M. Prater kick) 7 0 defense. The drive included a key, third-down completion to Roddy Broncos White that went for 37 yards into the red zone. Falcons 1 2:26 J. Elam 46 yd. Field Goal 7 3 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- Falcons 2 12:33 J. Elam 36 yd. Field Goal 7 6 pletion in the end zone with 1:16 left that could have given the Falcons Falcons 2 7:34 M. Turner 9 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 7 13 a win. Ryan, who threw for 250 yards and an interception in the game, Broncos 3 9:59 P. Hillis 2 yd. run (M. Prater kick) 14 13 rolled out of the pocket and found White but the ball slipped through his hands as he fell toward the ground. Broncos 4 14:56 M. Prater 20 yd. Field Goal 17 13 Denver took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter with a two-yard touch4 10:41 M. Turner 28 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 17 20 down run by Hillis -- a rookie that started the season as a fullback. A Falcons goal-line stand by the Falcons defense forced a Prater field goal that Broncos 4 5:35 D. Graham 9 yd. pass from J. Cutler (M. Prater kick) 24 20 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
M. Turner
25
Yds
Avg
81
3.2
LG 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
35
114
3.3
28T
2
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
M. Ryan
33 20
250
0/0
0
37 1
71.5
Total
33 20
250
0/0
0
37 1
71.5
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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
20
250
12.5
37
0
Total
Avg
LG
Falcons vs. broncos Starters
TD
TD
FALCONS
BRONCOS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB TE
M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner J. Peelle
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
B. Marshall R. Clady B. Hamilton C. Wiegmann C. Kuper R. Harris D. Graham E. Royal J. Cutler P. Hillis S. Larsen
DEFENSE LE E. Ekuban LT D. Robertson RT M. Thomas RE E. Dumervill WLB W. Woodyard MLB S. Larsen SLB J. Winborn LCB J. Bell RCB D. Bly SS M. Manuel FS C. Lowry
DENVER BRONCOS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
P. Hillis P. Pope T. Bell E. Royal J. Cutler Total
10 4 7 3 1 25
44 35 34 7 4 124
4.4 8.8 4.9 2.3 4.0 5.0
12 15 9 12 4 15
2 0 0 0 0 2
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT J. Cutler
27 19
Total
27 19
216 216
1/8 1/8
RT
1
47 0
106.4
1
47 0
106.4
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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
19
216
11.4
47
1
Total
Avg
LG
TD
falcons 45 panthers 28 November 23, 2008 The Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA Michael Turner isn't one for flamboyant end zone celebrations. TEAM STATISTICS But the mild-mannered running back couldn't help celebrate a bit Panthers Falcons after a fourth-down touchdown run with 7:13 remaining in Sunday's TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 22 21 victory over the Panthers. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 5-14-36% 6-13-46% An approving Georgia Dome crowd roared as the running back FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 2-2-100% 408 392 scored his third touchdown of the day. The gutsy play gave the TOTAL NET YARDS 134 133 Falcons a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead and sparked an exciting NET YARDS RUSHING 274 259 close to a 45-28 victory. Atlanta (7-4) scored 28 fourth-quarter points NET YARDS PASSING PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 35-21-0 27-17-0 in the win. 6-2-2 8-5-3 Attitude was everything for the Falcons, who got off to an early KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 6-46.2 3-43.0 ,17-0 lead, withstood a Panthers surge and put the game away FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 when it counted. It mattered most after Panthers quarterback Jake NET PUNTING AVERAGE 27.0 43.0 Delhomme rushed for a 12-yard touchdown with 10:57 left in the TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 0 95 game. Carolina (8-4) pulled within three, 24-21, with a two-point PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 8-48 3-25 conversion. FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 0-0 1-1 Matt Ryan and the offense faced a quick third down on the next TOUCHDOWNS 3 6 3-3 6-6 possession, but the quarterback found rookie wide receiver Harry EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 2-2 1-1 Douglas on a 69-yard pass play to the Panthers 6. Four plays later FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 3-5-60% 5-6-83% Turner got his key, fourth-down touchdown. 1-2-50% 3-3-100% The Panthers faced an energized defense and a raucous crowd GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY SAFETIES 0 0 on the next possession. Defensive end Chauncey Davis recorded TIME OF POSSESSION 31:11 28:49 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 SCORING DRIVE punted from the end zone, giving Douglas a chance for a big return. Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Panthers Falcons The rookie brought the kick back up the middle 61 yards for a Falcons 1 11:16 J. Elam 23 yd. Field Goal 0 3 touchdown. Delhomme found Muhsin Muhammad for a touchdown on the Falcons 1 5:03 H. Douglas 7 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 0 10 next series but the Falcons had already done plenty of damage. Falcons 2 13:20 M. Turner 1 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 0 17 Still, Turner found the end zone for a final time with just 54 seconds Panthers 2 5:22 J. Kasay 23 yd. Field Goal 3 17 to play. Panthers 3 12:21 D. Williams 5 yd. run (J. Kasay kick) 10 17 The NFL's leader in rushing touchdowns (13) also surpassed Panthers 3 5:27 J. Kasay 21 yd. Field Goal 13 17 the 1,000-yard mark for the 2008 season. He rushed for 117 yards 4 14:57 M. Turner 4 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 13 24 Sunday as the Falcons pulled within one game of the NFC South Falcons lead. Panthers 4 10:57 J. Delhomme 12 yd. run (D. Williams run) 21 24 Atlanta out-gained Carolina 162-0 in the first quarter thanks to Falcons 4 7:13 M. Turner 1 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 21 31 solid defense and ball-hogging offense. Falcons 4 4:47 H. Douglas 61 yd. punt return (J. Elam kick) 21 38 The Falcons darted down the field on the first series of the game Panthers 4 2:23 M. Muhammad 16 yd. pass from J. Delhomme (J. Kasay kick) 28 38 but settled for a field goal. That was followed by touchdowns from Falcons 4 0:54 M. Turner 16 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 28 45 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
33
133
4.0
19
5
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT M. Ryan Total
27 17
259
27 17
259
1/0 1/0
0 0
69 0
LG
94.5 94.5
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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
17
259
15.2
69
0
Total
Avg
69 0
RT
TD
Falcons vs. panthers Starters FALCONS
PANTHERS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo B. Hartsock R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
S. Smith J. Gross T. Wharton R. Kalil K. Vincent J. Otah J. King M. Muhammad J. Delhomme D. Williams B. Hoover
DEFENSE LE T. Brayton LT M. Kemoeatu RT D. Lewis RE J. Peppers SLB N. Diggs MLB J. Beason WLB T. Davis LCB C. Gamble RCB K. Lucas SS C. Harris FS C. Godfrey
CAROLINA PANTHERS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
D. Williams J. Delhomme J. Stewart Total
19 2 5 26
101 18 15 134
5.3 9.0 3.0 5.2
21 12T 9 21
1 1 0 2
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
Delhomme 35 21
295 3/21
1
41 0
96.7
Total
295 3/21
1
41 0
96.7
35 21
RECEIVING
No
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
21
295
14.0
41
1
Total
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
falcons 22 chargers 16 November 30, 2008 Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego, CA The Falcons defeated the Chargers 22-16 Sunday in a game filled TEAM STATISTICS with emotional plays on both sides of the ball. Chargers Falcons Three turnovers led to Chargers scores but a solid effort by the 13 20 Falcons defense turned back the Chargers on multiple occasions. The TOTAL FIRST DOWNS unit also forced a key score just before halftime. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 3-12-25% 8-16-50% Atlanta took an early 3-0 lead off a Jason Elam field goal but fell FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-1-0% 1-2-50% behind after a fumbled punt by Harry Douglas inside Falcons territory. 201 348 Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson got in for a touchdown four TOTAL NET YARDS 70 141 plays later, but that would be some of the only success the All Pro had NET YARDS RUSHING NET YARDS PASSING 131 207 in the afternoon. Tomlinson was held to the second-lowest rushing total of his career PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 30-17-0 23-17-0 (24 yards) and the Chargers didn't have an offensive play of more than KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 5-0-0 5-3-1 18 yards in the game. Michael Turner, who backed up Tomlinson for the 4-43.5 2-53.0 first four years of his career before joining the Falcons, rushed for 120 PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 1-0 0-0 yards on 31 careers. 35.5 47.0 Atlanta (8-4) got another Elam field goal in the first quarter, scored NET PUNTING AVERAGE with a Matt Ryan to Justin Peelle touchdown pass and then opened the TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 12 32 game up off a defensive play. In the process, the Falcons got their first PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 9-84 3-20 win of the season when not leading after the first quarter. 1-0 3-3 The Falcons defense worked tirelessly to get in the face of FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 2 2 Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and was rewarded for the effort with TOUCHDOWNS EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-2 2-2 eight minutes remaining in the first quarter. A special teams tackle on a kickoff return by David Irons gave San FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-2 2-2 Diego first-and-10 inside its own 10-yard line. The defense took over RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 1-2-50% 2-4-50% from there, dropping Tomlinson for a loss and forcing Rivers to throw GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 1-2-50% from his own end zone on third down. 0 1 Defensive end John Abraham bull rushed over the left side and got SAFETIES 25:02 34:58 his left arm on Rivers. The quarterback escaped but threw the ball to an TIME OF POSSESSION empty space just over the line of scrimmage. The subsequent intentional grounding penalty resulted in a safety and an additional two points for the Falcons. SCORING DRIVE It was the first safety for the Birds since Dec. 12, 2005 (New Qtr Time Scoring Play Chargers Falcons Orleans) but they would not capitalize after a Chargers free kick, driv- Team ing down field but getting held out of the end zone on four tries from inside the 2-yard line. Falcons 1 5:56 J. Elam 35 yd. Field Goal 0 3 The 15-7 lead carried into halftime. Atlanta got the ball to open the third quarter and again moved down 7 3 the field but a rare Brian Finneran fumble was recovered by safety Eric Chargers 1 1:41 L. Tomlinson 3 yd. run (N. Kaeding kick) Weddle and returned 86 yards for a Chargers touchdown. Smith chal1 0:00 J. Elam 40 yd. Field Goal 7 6 lenged the play but there wasn't enough to overturn the original call. Falcons San Diego missed on a two-point conversion attempt, however, and the Falcons 2 9:24 J. Peelle 18 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 7 13 Falcons retained a thin, two-point lead, 15-13. The missed opportunity could have haunted the team, which missed out on touchdowns three times in the red zone, but a defensive Falcons 2 7:54 Penalty on P. Rivers enforced in the end zone for a safety 7 15 stop was followed by a key drive for the Birds, who ate up the rest of the third quarter with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a five- Chargers 3 12:08 E. Weddle 86 yd. fumble return (pass failed) 13 15 yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Douglas on the first play of the fourth quarter. Falcons 4 14:56 H. Douglas 5 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 13 22 Ryan finished the game with a solid 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He found Roddy White six times for 112 yards as the receiver Chargers 4 5:15 N. Kaeding 28 yd. Field Goal 16 22 went over the 1,000 yard mark for the second-straight season. Rookie DE 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 punt that 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 fumble 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
4
-3
-0.7
1
0
43
141
3.3
15
0
M. Ryan Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT M. Ryan Total
23 17
207
23 17
207
0/0 0/0
2 2
38 0
LG
130.2 130.2
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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
17
207
12.2
38
2
Total
Avg
38 0
RT
TD
Falcons at chargers Starters FALCONS
CHARGERS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson M. Boley C. Lofton K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
C. Chambers M. McNeill S. Mruczkowski N. Hardwick M. Goff J. Clary A. Gates V. Jackson P. Rivers L. Tomlinson J. Hester
DEFENSE DE I. Olshansky DT J. Williams DE L. Castillo OLB S. Phillips ILB S. Cooper ILB T. Dobbins OLB J. Tucker LCB Q. Jammer RCB A. Cromartie SS C. Hart FS E. Weddle
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
J. Hester L. Tomlinson P. Rivers Total
1 14 4 19
28 24 18 70
28.0 1.7 4.5 3.7
28 6 10 28
0 1 0 1
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
P. Rivers
30 17
149 3/18
0
18 0
70.0
Total
30 17
149 3/18
0
18 0
70.0
RECEIVING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
M. Floyd
5
59
11.8
18
TD 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
1
2
2.0
2
0
17
149
8.8
18
0
C. Chambers Total
saints 29 falcons 25 December 7, 2008 Louisiana Superdome - New Orleans, LA Wide receiver Roddy White notched a new career in receiving TEAM STATISTICS yards and Matt Ryan showed some moxie down the stretch but a surSaints Falcons prising Saints running proved too much as the Falcons fell in New TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 24 22 Orleans, 29-25. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 4-10-40% 7-12-58% The Falcons held a 25-22 lead with eight minutes to play, but an 88FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 0-0-0% yard kickoff return by Saints running back Pierre Thomas led to the goTOTAL NET YARDS 414 414 ahead score. NET YARDS RUSHING 184 99 Falcons linebacker Michael Boley nearly intercepted a Drew Brees NET YARDS PASSING 230 315 pass on third-and-1 at the Atlanta 7, but the Saints stayed on the field PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 32-18-0 33-24-1 and converted the fourth down. Thomas went in for the go-ahead touchKICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 6-3-0 5-4-1 down on the following play. PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 3-50.7 4-47.5 It was a rough day for the Falcons defense, which faced a Saints FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 team that stepped away from its dominance in the passing game to run NET PUNTING AVERAGE 50.0 47.5 the ball up the middle with running backs Thomas and Reggie Bush. 23 2 The pair combined for 182 yards on the ground and each caught touch- TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 3-30 5-34 down passes from Brees inside the red zone. The teams both had 414 PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 0-0 1-0 yards of total offense in this back-and-forth game but New Orleans held FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST TOUCHDOWNS 3 3 the advantage in rushing yards, 184-99. 2-3 3-3 The Saints (7-6) opened the game with five straight running plays EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 3-3 1-1 and didn't immediately look to Brees, who leads the NFL in passing FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 3-5-60% 3-4-75% yards, as the first option. He still finished with 230 yards and two touch- RED ZONE EFFICIENCY GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 3-4-75% 2-3-67% downs on 32 attempts. SAFETIES 0 0 Falcons running back Michael Turner had a big, 26-yard run on the 27:08 32:52 team's first possession, but finished the day with just 61 yards on a TIME OF POSSESSION touchdown (3.4 yards per carry). SCORING DRIVE Ryan bounced back after an early interception to throw for a careerhigh 315 yards. He also rushed for his first career touchdown and had Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Saints Falcons 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 Saints 1 8:29 R. Bush 5 yd. pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley kick) 7 0 career-high 164 yards. 2 12:05 G. Hartley 26 yd. Field Goal 10 0 Atlanta responded from a 10-0 deficit to take a 14-13 lead with 2:13 Saints remaining in the first half. The Saints got down field without a timeout, Falcons 2 9:55 M. Turner 5 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 10 7 however, and took a 16-14 lead into halftime after a Garrett Hartley field Saints 2 6:10 G. Hartley 46 yd. Field Goal 13 7 goal. Atlanta went three-and-out on the first drive of the third quarter but Falcons 2 2:13 B. Finneran 2 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 13 14 came back with a 15-play, 69-yard drive that ended in a Jason Elam Saints 2 0:00 G. Hartley 25 yd. Field Goal 16 14 field goal. Ryan completed third-down passes of 21, 5 and 6 yards before missing on a throw to the end zone. Falcons 3 3:06 J. Elam 23 yd. Field Goal 16 17 Another key third down almost led to the game-winning score. Saints 4 12:55 P. Thomas 7 yd. pass from D. Brees (run failed) 22 17 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- Falcons 4 7:51 M. Ryan 12 yd. run (M. Ryan-M. Jenkins pass) 22 25 and-4 from the New Orleans 12 Ryan opted not to force the ball into Saints 4 5:47 P. Thomas 5 yd. run (G. Hartley kick) 29 25 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
1
2
2.0
2
0
30
99
3.3
26
2
O. Mughelli Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
M. Ryan
33 24
315
0/0
1
59 1
99.9
Total
33 24
315
0/0
1
59 1
99.9
RECEIVING R. White
No 10
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
24
315
13.1
59
1
Total
Falcons at SAINTS Starters FALCONS
SAINTS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB NB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson K. Moorehead J. Anderson M. Boley C. Jackson K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB RB
M. Colston J. Brown C. Nicks J. Goodwin J. Evans J. Stinchcomb J. Shockey D. Henderson D. Brees P. Thomas R. Bush
DEFENSE LE B. McCray NT K. Clancy DT S. Ellis RE W. Smith SLB S. Fujita MLB J. Vilma WLB S. Shanle LCB R. Gay RCB J. David SS R. Harper FS J. Bullocks
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
P. Thomas R. Bush M. Karney D. Brees D. McAllister Total
16 10 1 2 1 30
102 80 2 0 0 184
6.4 8.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 6.1
18 43 2 1 0 43
1 0 0 0 0 1
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
D. Brees
32 18
230
0/0
2
36 0
99.7
Total
32 18
230
0/0
2
36 0
99.7
RECEIVING
No
Yds
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 Total
Avg
LG
TD
1
7
7.0
7T
1
18
230
12.8
36
2
falcons 13 buccaneers 10 (ot) December 14, 2008 Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA In a game defined by wild momentum swings, the Falcons had the TEAM STATISTICS ball last. Bucs And that made all the difference. TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 19 Jason Elam's 34-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining in overtime lift- THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 3-14-21% ed Atlanta to a 13-10 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% The win moves Atlanta (9-5) into a second-place tie in the NFC South TOTAL NET YARDS 325 and keeps playoff hopes very much alive with just two weeks left in the NET YARDS RUSHING 99 season. NET YARDS PASSING 226 Running back Michael Turner picked up 34 of his game-high 152 PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 37-26-1 rushing yards on the game-winning drive, setting up Elam for his sec- KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 3-0-0 ond game-winning kick in the Georgia Dome this season. Tampa Bay PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 9-45.9 won the coin toss to start the overtime period and took the ball, but John FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 39.6 Abraham sacked quarterback Brian Griese on third-and-eight with NET PUNTING AVERAGE TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 14 11:07 left to force a punt. 11-76 Abraham notched three sacks in the game to move his career-high PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 0-0 sack total to 15.5 for the season. 1 Turner rushed for more than 100 yards in a game for the seventh TOUCHDOWNS 1-1 time this season. His first quarter touchdown run (15) also broke the EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-2 Falcons single-season record set by Jamal Anderson in 1998. 0-1-0% Turner carried a Falcons offense that jumped out to a 10-0 first RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% quarter lead but stalled in the second half. Quarterback Matt Ryan GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY SAFETIES 0 threw a pair of interceptions. A third quarter drive collapsed when tight TIME OF POSSESSION 34:46 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 SCORING DRIVE miscue. Cornerback Domonique Foxworth intercepted his first pass as a Qtr Time Scoring Play Falcon on the drive following Rader's fumble. He would later knock the Team 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. 1 6:50 J. Elam 26 yd. Field Goal The defense also benefited from a missed field goal with 3:38 Falcons remaining in regulation. The Bucs rushed for just 99 yards in the game and committed five false start penalties, which Smith attributed to crowd Falcons 1 1:01 M. Turner 1 yd. run (J. Elam kick) noise in an energized Georgia Dome. Tampa Bay finished with 11 penalties for 76 yards. 2 0:11 A. Bryant 20 yd. pass from B. Griese (M. Bryant kick) Bryant finished with eight catches for 108 yards and touchdown. Bucs 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. Bucs 4 0:44 M. Bryant 38 yd. Field Goal But the Falcons redirected that momentum swing as well, holding the Bucs No. 1 receiver to just one catch the rest of the game. Falcons OT 4:04 J. Elam 34 yd. Field Goal 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.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
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
43
175
4.1
22
1
Total
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
M. Ryan
23 15
206
1/8
0
30 2
57.5
Total
23 15
206
1/8
0
30 2
57.5
RECEIVING
No
Yds
R. White
4
61
15.3
Avg
30
LG
TD 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
B. Finneran
1
4
4.0
4
0
O. Mughelli
1
1
1.0
1
0
15
206
13.7
30
0
Total
0
Falcons vs. buccaneers Starters FALCONS
BUCS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson K. Moorehead J. Anderson C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT WR TE TE QB RB
A. Bryant D. Penn A. Sears J. Faine D. Joseph J. Trueblood M. Clayton A. Smith J. Stevens B. Griese W. Dunn
DEFENSE LE K. Carter DT J. Wilkerson DT R. Sims RE G. Adams SLB C. June MLB B. Ruud WLB D. Brooks LCB P. Buchanon RCB R. Barber SS J. Phillips FS T. Jackson
Falcons 18 6-14-43% 0-0-0% 373 175 198 23-15-2 4-2-0 6-37.5 0-0 34.8 38 3-20 3-1 1 1-1 2-2 1-3-33% 1-1-100% 0 36:10
Bucs Falcons
0
3
0
10
7
10
10
10
10
13
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS RUSHING
No
Yds
Avg
LG
TD
C. Williams W. Dunn Total
14 12 26
59 40 99
4.2 3.3 3.8
12 10 12
0 0 0
PASSING No Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT
RT
B. Griese
37 26
269 4/43
1
27 1
88.7
Total
37 26
269 4/43
1
27 1
88.7
RECEIVING
No
A. Bryant
8
108
Yds
13.5
Avg
27
LG
TD 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
26
269
10.3
27
1
Total
falcons 24 vIKINGS 17 December 21, 2008 Hubert Humphrey Metrodome - Minneapolis, Minnesota In a matter of a week, the Falcons went from being controllers of their TEAM STATISTICS own playoff destiny to a team that needed help from multiple teams to make Vikings Falcons the postseason. In just more than 24 hours in Week 16, the Birds regained TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 24 18 control and played themselves into the playoffs for the first time since 2004. THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 6-13-46% 5-12-42% Atlanta held off a fourth quarter charge and defeated the Minnesota FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 2-4-50% 0-0-0% Vikings, 24-17, Sunday afternoon. The win, coupled with Tampa Bay and TOTAL NET YARDS 350 222 Dallas losses, clinches at least a Wild Card spot in the playoffs for Atlanta. The NET YARDS RUSHING 155 98 Falcons can still win the NFC South and get a postseason home game with a NET YARDS PASSING 195 124 win next week over St. Louis and a Carolina Panthers loss at New Orleans. PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 36-22-0 24-13-0 Atlanta turned four Vikings turnovers into 10 points Sunday afternoon, KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 4-1-1 5-3-2 taking advantage of an offense that found ways to put the breaks on itself for PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 1-44.0 6-42.2 much of the game. Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson fumbled twice and FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 0-0 0-0 40.0 37.7 quarterback Tarvaris Jackson fumbled off a Kindal Moorehead sack in the NET PUNTING AVERAGE 7 4 third quarter. Wide receiver Eric Weems also forced a Bernard Berrian fumble TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 3-15 6-70 on a first quarter punt. The Vikings fumbled thrice more in the game but man- PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 7-4 1-0 aged to recover the ball. 2 3 Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan led a 64-yard scoring drive off the open- TOUCHDOWNS 2-2 3-3 ing kick and got the Falcons in the end zone with a shovel pass to Jerious EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS 1-1 1-1 Norwood on the first play of the second quarter to put the Birds up 14-7. FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 1-3-33% 3-4-75% Atlanta added a 22-yard Jason Elam field goal to go up 17-7 at halftime. GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% 3-4-75% A lackluster third quarter showed signs of life with Moorhead's sack and SAFETIES 0 0 forced fumble with 11:11 remaining. The ball was recovered at the Atlanta 46 TIME OF POSSESSION 32:55 27:05 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 SCORING DRIVE 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 Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Falcons Vikings Minnesota 5-yard line, Ryan rolled out of the pocket and sprinted toward the Falcons 1 8:47 M. Turner 1 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 7 0 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 Vikings 1 2:00 V. Shiancoe 21 yd. pass from T. Jackson (R. Longwell kick) 7 7 zone. The ball bounced around a bit but was recovered by offensive lineman Falcons 2 14:06 J. Norwood 8 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 14 7 Justin Blalock for a touchdown. The second-year player became the first line17 7 man to score a touchdown since 1996 (Robbie Tobeck) and put the Falcons up Falcons 2 0:03 J. Elam 22 yd. field goal 24-7 with just more than 17 minutes to play in the game. Ryan finished with Falcons 3 2:38 J. Blalock fumble recovery in end zone (J. Elam kick) 24 7 134 passing yards on 13 completions. His favorite target was wide receiver Vikings 4 11:32 R. Longwell 29 yd. Field Goal 24 10 Michael Jenkins, who caught four passes for 61 yards. Minnesota was led by 24 17 tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who led all pass catchers with seven grabs for Vikings 4 2:44 V. Shiancoe 17 yd. pass from T. Jackson (R. Longwell kick) 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 vs. Vikings Starters
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSH. M. Turner J. Snelling J. Norwood H. Douglas M. Ryan Total PASS. Ryan Total
No 19 3 6 1 3 32
Att 24 24
REC. M. Jenkins R. White J. Norwood B. Finneran J. Snelling J. Peelle H. Douglas Total
No 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 13
Yds 70 12 10 4 2 98
Avg 3.7 4.0 1.7 4.0 0.7 3.1
LG 13 8 8 4 4 13
TD 1 0 0 0 0 1
Cmp Yds TD LG INT RT 13 134 1 22 0 84.4 13 134 1 22 0 84.4 Yds 61 24 11 13 13 8 4 134
Avg 15.3 8.0 5.5 13.0 13.0 8.0 4.0 10.3
LG 22 12 8 13 13 8 4 22
TD 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
FALCONS
Vikings
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux J. Anderson C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth L. Milloy E. Coleman
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB HB FB
B. Berrian B. McKinnie S. Hutchinson M. Birk A. Herrera R. Cook V. Shiancoe B. Wade T. Jackson A. Peterson N. Tahi
DEFENSE LE R. Edwards NT F. Evans UT K. Williams RE J. Allen SLB C. Greenway MLB N. Harris WLB B. Leber LCB A. Winfield RCB C. Griffin SS D. Sharper FS M. Williams
MINNESOTA VIKINGS RUSH. A. Peterson T. Jackson C. Taylor Total
No 22 8 1 31
PASS. Att T. Jackson 36 Total 36 REC. V. Shiancoe B. Wade C. Taylor B. Berrian A. Peterson N. Tahi Total
No 7 5 5 2 2 1 22
Yds 76 76 3 155
Avg 3.5 9.5 3.0 5.0
LG 17 29 3 29
TD 0 0 0 0
Cmp Yds TD LG INT RT 22 233 2 31 0 98.5 22 233 2 31 0 98.5 Yds 136 38 26 18 16 -1 233
Avg 19.4 7.6 5.2 9.0 8.0 -1.0 10.6
LG 31 20 11 10 11 -1 31
TD 2 0 0 0 0 0 2
falcons 31 RAMS 27 December 28, 2008 Georgia Dome - Atlanta, Georgia 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, including 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 forcing a turnover on downs. Linebacker Michael Boley was credited with a team-high 11 tackles while Chauncey Davis, playing for an injured Jamaal Anderson, recorded 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-highest 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.
No 25 3 4 32
Yds 208 56 -1 263
Avg 8.3 18.7 -0.2 8.2
LG 70 45 1 70
TD 1 2 0 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 REC. M. Jenkins R. White J. Norwood B. Finneran H. Douglas Total
No 4 3 1 1 1 10
Yds 72 48 22 12 6 160
Avg 18.0 16.0 22.0 12.0 6.0 16.0
LG 41 22 22 12 6 41
TD 0 1 0 0 0 1
Team
Qtr Time
Scoring Play
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB MLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS
J. Abraham G. Jackson J. Babineaux C. Davis C. Wire C. Lofton K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth J. Fudge E. Coleman
Rams Falcons
Falcons 1
10:02 J. Elam 39 yd. Field Goal
0
3
Rams
1
6:18
S. Jackson 4 yd. run
7
3
Falcons
2
4:43
M. Turner 9 yd. run (J. Elam kick)
7
10
Rams
2
0:32
D. Avery 16 yd. pass form M. Bulger (J. Brown kick)
14
10
Falcons
2
0:11
J. Norwood 8 yd. run (J. Elam kick)
Falcons
3
Rams Rams
14
17
12:20 R. White 18 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick)
14
24
3
1:39
17
24
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
Falcons
4
3:41
J. Norwood 45 yd. run (J. Elam kick)
27
31
J. Brown 31 yd. Field Goal
Rams
OFFENSE M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner O. Mughelli
Falcons 17 2-10-20% 0-0-0% 417 98 263 21-10-2 6-4-3 4-36.8 0-0 36.8 3 3-14 1-1 4 4-4 1-1 3-3-100% 2-2-100% 0 24:47
SCORING DRIVE
FALCONS WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB FB
Rams 22 5-15-33% 1-3-33% 408 202 195 32-18-0 6-2-1 5-48.8 0-0 44.2 24 3-14 0-0 3 3-3 2-2 3-4-75% 1-1-100% 0 35:13
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY TOTAL NET YARDS NET YARDS RUSHING NET YARDS PASSING PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED NET PUNTING AVERAGE TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST TOUCHDOWNS EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS RED ZONE EFFICIENCY GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY SAFETIES TIME OF POSSESSION
Falcons vs. Rams Starters
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSH. M. Turner J. Norwood M. Ryan Total
TEAM STATISTICS
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB TE RB
T. Holt O. Pace A. Goldberg B. Romberg J. Greco A. Barron J. Klopfenstein D. Avery M. Bulger A. Becht S. Jackson
DEFENSE LDE V. Adeyanju UT A. Carriker NT C. Ryan RDE C. Long SLB Q. Culberson MLB C. Draft WLB P. Tinoisamoa LCB R. Bartell RCB J. Wade FS O. Atogwe SS T. Johnson
ST. LOUIS RAMS RUSH. No S. Jackson 30 K. Darby 3 A. Pittman 2 K. Burton 1 T. Minor 1 Total 37
Yds 161 20 12 5 4 202
Avg 5.4 6.7 6.0 5.0 4.0 5.5
LG 36 8 11 5 4 36
TD 2 0 0 0 0 2
PASS. Att Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT RT M. Bulger 32 19 230 3/24 1 36 0 91.9 Total 32 19 230 3/24 1 36 0 91.9 REC. No T. Holt 6 D. Avery 5 S. Jackson 4 K. Darby 2
Yds 90 40 54 9
Avg 15.0 8.0 13.5 4.5
LG 33 16 36 10
J. Klopfenstein 1
29
29.0
29
0
8 230
8.0 12.1
8 36
0 1
K. Burton Total
1 19
TD 0 1 0 0
NFC Wild Card Game Cardinals 30 Falcons 24 January 3, 2008 University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, Arizona The Falcons wrote the final chapter in a storybook season Saturday TEAM STATISTICS afternoon, losing 30-24 to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the Cardinals Falcons playoffs. 15 20 The defense gave up touchdown passes of 42 and 71 yards in the first TOTAL FIRST DOWNS half as the team fell behind 14-3 in the second quarter. But the unit settled THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY 6-15-40% 6-14-43% in to allow just four first-half first downs and give the offense a chance at FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY 0-0-0% 1-1-100% the field. TOTAL NET YARDS 357 250 A Jason Elam field goal got the Falcons on the board with 7:31 remainNET YARDS RUSHING 86 60 ing in the second quarter to start a Falcons rally. Rookie quarterback Matt 271 190 Ryan began the game 1 of 4 with an interception but rebounded to pilot a NET YARDS PASSING 14 play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Michael Turner touchdown run. PASS ATTEMPTS - COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED 32-19-1 40-26-2 Ryan completed 17 of his next 21 pass attempts after the shaky start. KICKOFFS - NUMBER - IN ENDZONE - TOUCHBACK 5-5-3 6-3-1 The offense held the ball for more than 21 minutes in the first half and PUNTS - NUMBER AND AVERAGE 6-39.8 5-42.4 successfully flipped the momentum put in play by the Cardinals offense. 0-0 0-0 Cornerback Chevis Jackson picked off quarterback Kurt Warner on the FGS - PATS HAD BLOCKED 34.7 36.8 next series, giving the ball back to the Falcons in Cardinals territory with NET PUNTING AVERAGE 2:03 to play. Ryan completed three passes on the ensuing possession, the TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (NOT INCLUDING KICKOFFS) 2 31 last a 2-yard throw to tight end Justin Peelle in the back of the end zone. PENALTIES NUMBER AND YARDS 6-47 6-52 The Falcons took a 17-14 halftime lead off that play and stood ready FUMBLES NUMBER AND LOST 0-0 2-1 to take the ball to open the third quarter. But a bizarre play sent the Birds TOUCHDOWNS 4 3 back on their heels for nearly the rest of the game. 4-4 3-3 A muffed handoff on the second play of the third quarter was recov- EXTRA POINTS MADE-ATTEMPTS ered by Cardinals defensive back Antrel Rolle and returned 27 yards for a FIELD GOALS MADE-ATTEMPTS 0-1 1-1 touchdown. The play started a rough second half for the Falcons, who RED ZONE EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 3-4-75% wouldn't find the end zone again until late in the game. GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY 1-1-100% 3-3-100% A penalty-laden stretch on the next possession forced the Birds to punt SAFETIES 1 0 from their own end zone for the second time in the game. The teams 30:02 29:58 swapped punts on the next two drives but the Cardinals pieced together a TIME OF POSSESSION clock-eating march that began with 10:31 left in the third quarter. A Tim Hightower touchdown run put the Cardinals up by 11. The Falcons went deep on the next offensive play but Ryan threw his SCORING DRIVE second interception of the game, this one to fellow rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. It was the third, and final, turnover of the day. Ryan and wide receiver Roddy White, who set a franchise postseason Team Qtr Time Scoring Play Cardinals Falcons record with 11 catches for 84 yards, hooked up for a touchdown with 4:19 Cardinals 1 10:28 L. Fitzgerald 42 yd. pass from K. Warner (N. Rackers kick) 7 0 to play but the Cardinals offense picked up first downs to wash away Atlanta's final timeouts. Falcons 2 10:00 J. Elam 30 yd. Field Goal 7 3 The Falcons strong running game was held in check, especially as the team tried to piece together a comeback. Turner rushed for 42 yards on 18 Cardinals 2 8:58 A. Boldin 71 yd.pass from K. Warner (N. Rackers kick) 14 3 carries but was held to just three carries -- zero yards -- in the final two periFalcons 2 2:55 M. Turner 7 yd. run (J. Elam kick) 14 10 ods. Warner took a knee on the final three snaps as Cardinal fans celebrat- Falcons 2 0:23 J. Peelle 2 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 14 17 ed just the second playoff win since the team's move to Arizona. The Falcons could only watch but left the field with reason to hold their heads Cardinals 3 14:08 A. Rolle 27 yd. fumble return (N. Rackers kick) 21 17 high. Cardinals 3 2:48 T. Hightower 4 yd. run (N. Rackers kick) 28 17 Ryan was named Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. Turner rushed for a record 17 touchdowns, 1,699 yards and finished Cardinals 4 12:37 M. Ryan sacked in end zone by A. Smith for a Safety 30 17 second in league MVP voting. White set a new single-season record for Falcons 4 4:15 R. White 5 yd. pass from M. Ryan (J. Elam kick) 30 24 receiving yards and will join Turner at the Pro Bowl in February -- the first trip for both players. The offensive line allowed just 17 sacks in the regular season (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 in 2009.
ATLANTA FALCONS RUSH. M. Turner J. Norwood M. Ryan Total
No 18 2 4 24
Yds 42 12 6 60
Avg 2.3 6.0 1.5 2.5
LG 13 8 2 13
TD 1 0 0 1
PASS. Att Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT RT M. Ryan 40 26 199 3/9 2 28 2 72.8 Total 40 26 199 3/9 2 28 2 72.8 REC. R. White M. Jenkins J. Peelle B. Finneran M. Pollard J. Norwood M. Turner H. Douglas Total
No 11 5 3 2 2 1 1 1 26
Yds 84 51 11 11 7 28 7 0 199
Avg 7.6 102 5.7 5.5 3.5 28.0 7.0 0.0 7.7
LG 12 21 6 7 6 28 7 0 28
TD 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
Falcons vs. Cardinals Starters FALCONS
Cardinals
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB WR
M. Jenkins T. Weiner J. Blalock T. McClure H. Dahl T. Clabo J. Peelle R. White M. Ryan M. Turner H. Douglas
DEFENSE RE DT DT LE OLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS DB
J. Abraham C. Davis J. Babineaux K. Moorehead M. Boley K. Brooking C. Houston D. Foxworth L. Milloy E. Coleman C. Jackson
OFFENSE WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB WR
L. Fitzgerald M. Gandy R. Wells L. Sendlein D. Lutui L. Brown S. Spach S. Spach K. Warner E. James A. Boldin
DEFENSE NT B. Robinson DT D. Dockett RDE B. Berry SLB C. Okeafor MLB G. Hayes WLB K. Dansby LCB R. Hood RCB D. Rodgers-Cromartie SS A. Wilson FS A. Rolle SS A. Francisco
ARIZONA CARDINALS RUSH. No E. James 16 T. Hightower 6 K. Warner 4 J. Arrington 1 S. Breaston 1 Total 28
Yds 73 23 0 -2 -8 86
Avg 4.6 3.8 0.0 -2.0 -8.0 3.1
LG 10 7 6 -2 -8 10
TD 0 1 0 0 0 1
PASS. Att Cmp Yds Sk/Yd TD LG INT RT K. Warner 32 19 271 0/0 2 71 1 94.7 Total 32 19 271 0/0 2 71 1 94.7 REC. No L. Fitzgerald 6 S. Spach 3 A. Boldin 2 S. Breaston 2 J. Urban 2 E. James 1 B. Patrick 1 T. Smith 1 J. Arrington 1 Total 19
Yds 101 34 72 36 7 9 8 4 -3 271
Avg 16.8 11.3 36.0 19.5 3.5 9.0 8.0 4.0 -3.0 14.3
LG 42 23 71 25 5 9 8 4 -3 71
TD 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
National Football League Game Summary NFL 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
Date: Saturday, 1/3/2009
Start Time: 2:36 PM MST
Atlanta Falcons At Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ Game Day Weather
Game Weather: Indoor/ Dome Closed Played Indoor on Turf: Grass Officials Referee: Parry, John (132)
Umpire: Paganelli, Carl (124)
Line Judge: Marinucci, Ron (107)
Head Linesman: Bowers, Derick (74)
Side Judge: Coleman, James (95)
Back Judge: Paganelli, Perry (46)
Field Judge: Wrolstad, Craig (4)
Replay Official: Sullivan, Terry Lineups
Atlanta Falcons
Arizona Cardinals
Offense WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB WR
12 74 63 62 73 77 87 84 2 33 83
Defense
M.Jenkins T.Weiner J.Blalock T.McClure H.Dahl T.Clabo J.Peelle R.White M.Ryan M.Turner H.Douglas
RE DT DT LE OLB OLB RCB LCB SS FS DB
55 92 95 94 59 56 23 24 36 26 22
Offense
J.Abraham C.Davis J.Babineaux K.Moorehead M.Boley K.Brooking C.Houston D.Foxworth L.Milloy E.Coleman C.Jackson
WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR QB RB WR
11 69 74 63 76 75 83 15 13 32 81
Defense
L.Fitzgerald M.Gandy R.Wells L.Sendlein D.Lutui L.Brown S.Spach S.Breaston K.Warner E.James A.Boldin
Substitutions
NT DT RDE SLB MLB WLB LCB RCB SS FS DB
97 90 92 56 54 58 26 29 24 21 47
B.Robinson D.Dockett B.Berry C.Okeafor G.Hayes K.Dansby R.Hood D.Rodgers-Cromarti A.Wilson A.Rolle A.Francisco
Substitutions
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
Did Not Play
Did Not Play
QB 8 C.Redman
QB 7 M.Leinart, LB 57 V.Hobson, C 70 P.Ross
Not Active
Not Active
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
Field Goals (made ( ) & missed) J.Elam
(30)
N.Rackers
51WL
1
2
3
4
OT
Total
VISITOR:
Atlanta Falcons
0
17
0
7
0
24
HOME:
Arizona Cardinals
7
7
14
2
0
30
Scoring Plays Team Cardinal Falcons Cardinal Falcons Falcons Cardinal Cardinal Cardinal Falcons
Qtr 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4
Time 10:28 10:00 8:58 2:55 0:23 14:08 2:48 12:37 4:15
Paid Attendance: 62,848
Play Description (Extra Point) (Drive Info) L.Fitzgerald 42 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (4-63, 2:03) J.Elam 30 yd. Field Goal (14-80, 7:31) A.Boldin 71 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (3-72, 1:02) M.Turner 7 yd. run (J.Elam kick) (14-77, 6:03) J.Peelle 2 yd. pass from M.Ryan (J.Elam kick) (6-23, 1:40) A.Rolle 27 yd. fumble return (N.Rackers kick) T.Hightower 4 yd. run (N.Rackers kick) (14-76, 7:43) M.Ryan sacked in end zone by A.Smith for a Safety R.White 5 yd. pass from M.Ryan (J.Elam kick) (9-58, 3:36)
Visitor Home 0 3 3 10 17 17 17 17 24
7 7 14 14 14 21 28 30 30
Time: 3:02
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals 1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium
Final Individual Statistics Atlanta Falcons RUSHING M.Turner J.Norwood M.Ryan
ATT 18 2 4
Total
24
PASSING M.Ryan
YDS AVG 42 2.3 12 6.0 6 1.5
60
2.5
LG 13 8 2
TD 1 0 0
13
1
ATT CMP YDS SK/YD TD LG IN RT 40 26 199 3/9 2 28 2 72.8 40
Total
26
PASS RECEIVING R.White M.Jenkins J.Peelle B.Finneran M.Pollard J.Norwood M.Turner H.Douglas
199 NO 11 5 3 2 2 1 1 1
Total
26 NO 1
INTERCEPTIONS C.Jackson Total PUNTING M.Koenen
Arizona Cardinals
3/9
YDS AVG 84 7.6 51 10.2 11 3.7 11 5.5 7 3.5 28 28.0 7 7.0 0 0.0
Returns KICKOFF RETURNS J.Norwood [TOUCHBACK] Returns
32
2
YDS AVG 0 0.0
LG 0
TD 0
0
0
TB IN20 0 0
LG 49
PUNTING B.Graham
0.0
Total INTERCEPTIONS R.Brown D.Rodgers-Cromartie
0
49
Total
NO YDS AVG 3 31 10.3 3 0 0.0
FC 0 0
LG 21 0
TD 0 0
PUNT RETURNS S.Breaston A.Rolle [Blank] [OUT OF BOUNDS]
10.3
0
21
0
NO YDS AVG 2 54 27.0 3 0 0.0
FC 0 0
LG 30 0
TD 0 0
27.0
0
30
0
2
54
86
271
0/0
NO 6 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
YDS 101 34 72 39 7 9 8 4 -3
3.1
2
71
71
2
NO 1 1
YDS AVG 3 3.0 0 0.0
LG 3 0
TD 0 0
3
0
TB IN20 0 4
LG 49
2
3
NO YDS AVG 6 239 39.8
NET 34.7
6 239 39.8
34.7
0
4
49
NO YDS AVG 1 0 0.0 1 -1 -1.0 0 0 0.0 1 0 0.0
FC 1 0 1 0
LG 0 -1 0 0
TD 0 0 0 0
-0.5
1
0
0
NO YDS AVG 3 51 17.0 2 35 17.5 1 0 0.0
FC 0 0 0
LG 22 23 0
TD 0 0 0
17.2
0
23
0
Returns
2
KICKOFF RETURNS J.Arrington S.Breaston [TOUCHBACK] Returns
5
-1
86
1.5
TD OUT-BDS
0 1 0
0 0 1
0 -3 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
Total
2
1
1
-3
0
0
0
0
0
0
Arizona Cardinals FUM LOST OWN-REC YDS TD FORCED OPP-REC YDS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 27 0
0
0
0
1
1 94.7
271 14.3
FUM LOST OWN-REC YDS TD FORCED OPP-REC YDS
0
1
19
1 1 0
Total
10
TD 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
M.Pollard M.Ryan J.Norwood
FUMBLES A.Wilson A.Rolle
TD 0 1 0 0 0
LG 42 23 71 25 5 9 8 4 -3
Atlanta Falcons FUMBLES
LG 10 7 6 -2 -8
AVG 16.8 11.3 36.0 19.5 3.5 9.0 8.0 4.0 -3.0
Total
0
31
19
PASS RECEIVING L.Fitzgerald S.Spach A.Boldin S.Breaston J.Urban E.James B.Patrick T.Smith J.Arrington
42.6
3
YDS AVG 73 4.6 23 3.8 0 0.0 -2 -2.0 -8 -8.0
RT ATT CMP YDS SK/YD TD LG IN 32 19 271 0/0 2 71 1 94.7
Total
28
NET 42.6
PUNT RETURNS H.Douglas [DOWNED]
PASSING K.Warner
7.7
199
NO YDS AVG 5 212 42.4 212 42.4
28
TD 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
0
5
2 72.8
ATT 16 6 4 1 1
Total
LG 12 21 6 7 6 28 7 0
1
Total
2 28
RUSHING E.James T.Hightower K.Warner J.Arrington S.Breaston
1
27
TD OUT-BDS 0 0 1 0 1
0
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals 1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium
Final Team Statistics Visitor Falcons
Home Cardinals
20 6 14 0
15 5 9 1
THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY
6-14-43%
6-15-40%
FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY
1-1-100%
0-0-0%
TOTAL NET YARDS Total Offensive Plays (inc. times thrown passing) Average gain per offensive play
250 67 3.7
357 60 6.0
NET YARDS RUSHING Total Rushing Plays Average gain per rushing play Tackles for a loss-number and yards
60 24 2.5 4-6
86 28 3.1 2-10
NET YARDS PASSING Times thrown - yards lost attempting to pass Gross yards passing
190 3-9 199
271 0-0 271
40-26-2 4.4
32-19-1 8.5
6-3-1
5-5-3
5-42.4 0
6-39.8 0
FGs - PATs Had Blocked Net Punting Average
0-0 42.6
0-0 34.7
TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (Not Including Kickoffs) No. and Yards Punt Returns No. and Yards Kickoff Returns No. and Yards Interception Returns
31 3-31 2-54 1-0
2 2--1 5-86 2-3
PENALTIES Number and Yards
6-52
6-47
2-1
0-0
3 1 2 0
4 1 2 1
3-3 3-3
4-4 4-4
1-1 3-4-75% 3-3-100% 0 24 29:58
0-1 1-1-100% 1-1-100% 1 30 30:02
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS By Rushing By Passing By Penalty
PASS ATTEMPTS-COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED Avg gain per pass play (inc.# thrown passing) KICKOFFS Number-In End Zone-Touchbacks PUNTS Number and Average Had Blocked
FUMBLES Number and Lost TOUCHDOWNS Rushing Passing Fumbles EXTRA POINTS Made-Attempts Kicking Made-Attempts FIELD GOALS Made-Attempts RED ZONE EFFICIENCY GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY SAFETIES FINAL SCORE TIME OF POSSESSION
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals 1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium
Ball Possession And Drive Chart Atlanta Falcons # Time Time Time How Ball Recd Lost Poss Obtained
Drive Began
# Play
Yds Gain
Yds Pen
Net Yds
1st Down
1 13:56 12:31 2 10:28 7:11 3 4:16 2:53
1:25 Punt 3:17 Kickoff 1:23 Punt
4 5 6
ARZ 48 ATL 20 ATL 7
3 6 3
4 11 -1
0 -5 0
4 6 -1
0 1 0
ARZ 44 Interception ATL 26 Punt ATL 6 Punt
7:31 Punt 6:03 Kickoff 1:40 Interception
ATL 8 ATL 23 ARZ 23
14 14 6
80 77 18
0 0 5
80 77 23
6 6 3
* ARZ 12 Field Goal * ARZ 7 Touchdown * ARZ 2 Touchdown
7 15:00 14:08 8 14:08 12:47 9 11:57 10:31 10 2:48 2:39
0:52 1:21 1:26 0:09
ATL ATL ATL ATL
27 20 41 20
2 3 3 1
0 -1 5 0
0 -14 0 0
0 -15 5 0
0 0 0 0
11 0:57 14:49 12 12:44 12:37 13 7:51 4:15
1:08 Punt 0:07 Punt 3:36 Punt
ATL 16 ATL 3 ATL 42
3 1 9
4 -3 53
0 0 5
4 -3 58
0 0 4
# Play
Yds Gain
Yds Pen
Net Yds
1st Down
12 37 24 45
3 4 5 3
8 63 40 0
0 0 0 0
8 63 40 0
2:31 10:00 8:58 2:55 2:03 0:23
Kickoff Kickoff Missed FG Kickoff
Last Scrm
ATL ATL ATL ATL
How Given Up
30 5 46 20
Fumble Punt Punt Interception
ATL 20 Punt ATL 3 Safety * ARZ 5 Touchdown
(356) Average ATL 27 Arizona Cardinals #
Time Time Time How Ball Recd Lost Poss Obtained
ARZ ARZ ARZ ARZ
Last Scrm
How Given Up
0 2 1 0
ARZ 20 ATL 42 ATL 36 ARZ 45
Punt Touchdown Punt Punt
1 15:00 13:56 2 12:31 10:28 3 7:11 4:16 4 2:53 2:31
1:04 2:03 2:55 0:22
5 10:00 6 2:55 7 0:23
1:02 Kickoff 0:52 Kickoff 0:23 Kickoff
ARZ 28 ARZ 20 ARZ 16
3 3 1
72 0 0
0 0 0
72 0 0
1 0 0
ARZ 29 Touchdown ARZ 20 Interception ARZ 16 End of Half
8 12:47 11:57 9 10:31 2:48 10 2:39 0:57
0:50 Punt 7:43 Punt 1:42 Interception
ATL 38 ARZ 24 ARZ 38
4 14 3
5 76 5
0 0 0
5 76 5
0 6 0
ATL 33 Missed FG * ATL 4 Touchdown ARZ 43 Punt
11 14:49 12:44 12 12:37 7:51 13 4:15 0:00
2:05 Punt 4:46 Kickoff 4:15 Kickoff
ARZ 44 ARZ 8 ARZ 20
4 5 9
4 33 51
15 -15 0
19 18 51
1 1 3
8:58 2:03 0:00
Kickoff Interception Punt Punt
Drive Began
ATL 37 Punt ARZ 26 Punt ATL 27 End of Game
(378) Average ARZ 29 * inside opponent's 20 Time of Possession by Quarter
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Visitor Atlanta Falcons
8:36
12:43
4:45
3:54
29:58
Home Arizona Cardinals
6:24
2:17
10:15
11:06
30:02
Kickoff Drive No.-Start Average
Falcons: 5 - ATL 22
OT
Cardinals: 6 - ARZ 17
Total
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals 1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium
Final Defensive Statistics Atlanta Falcons
Regular Defensive Plays TKL AST COMB
Special Teams
SK / YDS TFL QH IN PD FF FR
Misc
TKL AST FF FR BL
TKL AST FF FR
E.Coleman
6
2
8
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
C.Wire
5
2
7
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
K.Brooking
6
0
6
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
C.Lofton
5
0
5
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
L.Milloy
4
1
5
0.0
0.0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
C.Davis
3
1
4
0.0
0.0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
C.Houston
2
1
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
J.Abraham
2
0
2
0.0
0.0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
C.Jackson
2
0
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
D.Foxworth
2
0
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
G.Jackson
1
1
2
0.0
0.0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
S.Nicholas
1
1
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
J.Babineaux
1
0
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
J.Fudge
1
0
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
K.Biermann
0
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
K.Moorehead
0
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
M.Boley
0
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
T.DeCoud
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
E.Weems
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
J.Snelling
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
R.White
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
J.Norwood
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
41
12
53
0.0
0.0
3
3
1
3
0
0
7
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
Total
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 Arizona Cardinals Regular Defensive Plays Special Teams TKL AST COMB
SK / YDS TFL QH IN PD FF FR
TKL AST FF FR
BL
Misc
TKL AST FF FR
D.Rodgers-Cromartie
9
1
10
0.0
0.0
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
K.Dansby
6
2
8
0.0
0.0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
R.Hood
6
1
7
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
G.Hayes
6
0
6
0.0
0.0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
C.Okeafor
4
0
4
1.0
2.0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
A.Wilson
4
0
4
0.0
0.0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
B.Berry
3
0
3
1.0
4.0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
A.Smith
3
0
3
1.0
3.0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
A.Rolle
2
1
3
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
G.Watson
2
0
2
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
A.Francisco
1
0
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
B.Robinson
1
0
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
D.Dockett
1
0
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
C.Campbell
0
1
1
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
R.Brown
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
M.Adams
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
N.Rackers
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
M.Ware
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
S.Breaston
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
48
6
54
3.0
9.0
7 5.0
2
6
1
1
5
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Total
0
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals 1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium
First Half Summary PERIOD SCORES 0 17 = 17
Falcons (Visitor) Cardinals (Home)
TIME OF POSSESSION 21:19
Falcons
7 7 = 14
Cardinals
8:41
Scoring Plays Score Visitor Home
Team
Qtr
Time
Scoring Play
Cardinal Falcons Cardinal Falcons Falcons
1 2 2 2 2
10:28 10:00 8:58 2:55 0:23
L.Fitzgerald 42 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (4-63, 2:03) J.Elam 30 yd. Field Goal (14-80, 7:31) A.Boldin 71 yd. pass from K.Warner (N.Rackers kick) (3-72, 1:02) M.Turner 7 yd. run (J.Elam kick) (14-77, 6:03) J.Peelle 2 yd. pass from M.Ryan (J.Elam kick) (6-23, 1:40)
0 3 3 10 17
Falcons 16 5 - 11 - 0 5-9-56%
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS First Downs Rushing-Passing-by Penalty THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY
7 7 14 14 14
Cardinals 4 1-3-0 1-5-20%
TOTAL NET YARDS Total Offensive Plays
189 45
183 22
NET YARDS RUSHING
54
31
135 141 2-6
152 152 0-0
25 - 18 - 1 2 - 49 1-5 1-0 2-3-67% ATL 31
15 - 6 - 1 3 - 41.7 1-5 0-0 0-0-0% ARZ 26
NET YARDS PASSING Gross Yards Passing Times thrown-yards lost attempting to pass Pass Attempts-Completions-Had Intercepted Punts-Number and Average Penalties-Number and Yards Fumbles-Number and Lost Red Zone Efficiency Average Drive Start Atlanta Falcons RUSHING M.Turner J.Norwood M.Ryan
ATT 15 1 2
Total PASSING M.Ryan Total
YDS AVG 42 2.8 8 8.0 4 2.0
18
54
18
25
141 NO 8 4 2 1 1 1 1
Total
18
Atlanta Falcons
TD 1 0 0
13
1
3.0
2/6
141
1 82.3
1 21
YDS AVG 70 8.8 48 12.0 7 3.5 7 7.0 7 7.0 2 2.0 0 0.0
LG 12 21 6 7 7 2 0
TD 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
21
1
7.8
RUSHING E.James J.Arrington
4 2 1 1
0 0 1 0
4 2 2 1
Total
7
PASSING K.Warner
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0
Regular Defensive Plays
31
4.4
Total
6
15
152
PASS RECEIVING L.Fitzgerald A.Boldin B.Patrick
0/0
2 71
0 0 0 0
9
0
0 0 0 0
LG 42 71 8
TD 1 1 0
6
152 25.3
71
2
Misc
TKL AST FF FR BL 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
1 89.4
YDS AVG 72 24.0 72 36.0 8 8.0
Special Teams
0 1 0 0
TD 0 0
NO 3 2 1
Total
0 1 0 0
LG 9 -2
RT ATT CMP YDS SK/YD TD LG IN 15 6 152 0/0 2 71 1 89.4
SK / YDS TFL QH IN PD FF FR 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
YDS AVG 33 5.5 -2 -2.0
ATT 6 1
Regular Defensive Plays TKL AST COMB
Arizona Cardinals
LG 13 8 2
ATT CMP YDS SK/YD TD LG IN RT 25 18 141 2/6 1 21 1 82.3
PASS RECEIVING R.White M.Jenkins M.Pollard B.Finneran M.Turner J.Peelle H.Douglas
E.Coleman C.Jackson C.Davis J.Babineaux
Arizona Cardinals
0 0 0 0
Special Teams
0 0 0 0
TKL AST FF FR 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
Misc
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals
2
1/3/2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium
First Half Summary TKL AST COMB D.Rodgers-Cromartie K.Dansby R.Hood G.Hayes
7 5 5 5
0 2 1 0
7 7 6 5
SK / YDS TFL QH IN PD FF FR 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0 2 0 1
0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
TKL AST FF FR 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
BL 0 0 0 0
TKL AST FF FR 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium
1st Quarter
Play By Play
1/3/2009
Page 1
ARZ 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). 2-4-ARZ 43 (11:54) (Shotgun) E.James up the middle to ATL 48 for 9 yards (K.Brooking). (11:15) E.James up the middle to ATL 42 for 6 yards (E.Coleman). 1-10-ATL 48 2-4-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). 3-10-ATL 20 (8:52) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White pushed ob at ATL 31 for 11 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie). (8:28) M.Ryan pass incomplete short left. 1-10-ATL 31 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). 2-5-ARZ 29 (6:32) K.Warner pass deep left to L.Fitzgerald to ATL 41 for 30 yards (E.Coleman). (5:53) E.James right tackle to ATL 34 for 7 yards (E.Coleman). 1-10-ATL 41 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 4:16 1-10-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 2:53 1-10-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 2:31 1-10-ATL 8 (2:31) M.Turner up the middle to ATL 10 for 2 yards (B.Robinson). 2-8-ATL 10 (1:54) M.Ryan pass short left to R.White to ATL 20 for 10 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie) [G.Hayes]. (1:15) M.Turner left end to ATL 22 for 2 yards (R.Hood). 1-10-ATL 20 2-8-ATL 22 (:35) J.Norwood up the middle to ATL 30 for 8 yards (A.Wilson, K.Dansby). END OF QUARTER ==== Quarter Summary ==== Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals
Score 0 7
Time Poss 8:36 6:24
First Downs R P X T 1 2 0 3 1 2 0 3
Efficiencies 3Down 4Down 1/4 0/0 0/3 0/0
R1 P2
P1
P3
P2 R3
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium
2nd Quarter
Play By Play Atlanta Falcons continued. 1-10-ATL 30 1-10-ATL 43 1-10-ARZ 44 2-3-ARZ 37 1-10-ARZ 31 2-10-ARZ 31 1-10-ARZ 21 2-9-ARZ 20 3-10-ARZ 21 4-1-ARZ 12 Timeout at 10:00.
1/3/2009
(15:00) M.Turner left tackle to ATL 43 for 13 yards (R.Hood). (14:21) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short left to M.Jenkins to ARZ 44 for 13 yards (K.Dansby, R.Hood). (13:41) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short middle to M.Turner to ARZ 37 for 7 yards (D.Dockett). (13:13) (No Huddle) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 31 for 6 yards (G.Hayes, A.Rolle). (12:39) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short left to H.Douglas to ARZ 31 for no gain (R.Hood). (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. (11:31) M.Ryan pass short right to M.Pollard to ARZ 20 for 1 yard (A.Wilson). FUMBLES (A.Wilson), recovered by ATLJ.Norwood at ARZ 20. J.Norwood to ARZ 20 for no gain (A.Wilson). (10:48) M.Turner up the middle to ARZ 21 for -1 yards (G.Hayes). (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. (10:03) J.Elam 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-M.Schneck, Holder-M.Koenen.
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). 3-9-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). 2-3-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. 3-10-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). 3-6-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. 2-10-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). 3-6-ARZ 14 (3:23) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right to B.Finneran pushed ob at ARZ 7 for 7 yards (R.Hood). 1-7-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 2-4-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 quarterback 1-5-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). 3-4-ARZ 7 (:32) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White pushed ob at ARZ 2 for 5 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie). 1-2-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 ==== Quarter Summary ==== Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals
Score
Time
17 14
Poss 12:43 2:17
First Downs R 4 0
P 9 1
X 0 0
Efficiencies T 13 1
3Down 4/5 1/2
4Down 0/0 0/0
Page 1 R4 P5 R6 P7
P4
P8
P9
P10 P11
P12 R13
R14
P15 P16
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium
3rd Quarter
Play By Play
1/3/2009
Page 1
ATL 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 14:08 1-10-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 11:57 1-10-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). 3-2-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). 3-5-ARZ 42 (7:28) (Shotgun) K.Warner scrambles right end ran ob at ARZ 48 for 6 yards (K.Brooking). 1-10-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). 3-2-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). 3-3-ATL 18 (3:39) (Shotgun) K.Warner pass short middle to S.Breaston to ATL 4 for 14 yards (J.Fudge) [G.Jackson]. 1-4-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 2:39 1-10-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 0:57 1-10-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 ==== Quarter Summary ==== Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals
Score
Time
17 28
Poss 4:45 10:15
First Downs R 0 3
P 0 3
X 0 0
Efficiencies T 0 6
3Down 0/2 4/6
4Down 0/0 0/0
P5
R6 R7
P8
P9 R10
Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium
4th Quarter
Play By Play
1/3/2009
Atlanta 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 14:49 1-10-ARZ 44 (14:49) E.James right tackle to ARZ 49 for 5 yards (C.Lofton, C.Wire). PENALTY 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). 2-2-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). 4-6-ATL 46 (7:03) (Shotgun) M.Ryan pass short left to J.Norwood to ARZ 26 for 28 yards (A.Francisco). (7:03) M.Ryan pass short middle to J.Peelle to ARZ 20 for 6 yards (G.Hayes, D.Rodgers-Cromartie). 1-10-ARZ 26 2-4-ARZ 20 (5:54) (No Huddle) M.Ryan pass short left to M.Jenkins to ARZ 17 for 3 yards (R.Hood). 3-1-ARZ 17 (5:32) M.Ryan up the middle to ARZ 15 for 2 yards (B.Berry). (4:57) PENALTY on ARZ-B.Berry, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at ARZ 15 - No Play. unabated to the 1-10-ARZ 15 quarterback 1-5-ARZ 10 (4:53) M.Ryan pass short right to R.White to ARZ 5 for 5 yards (D.Rodgers-Cromartie). 1-5-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) 1-10-ARZ 20 (4:10) K.Warner pass short middle to L.Fitzgerald to ARZ 35 for 15 yards (C.Houston). (3:25) E.James right end to ARZ 35 for no gain (K.Brooking). 1-10-ARZ 35 Timeout #1 by ATL at 03:18. 2-10-ARZ 35 (3:18) K.Warner pass deep left to S.Breaston to ATL 40 for 25 yards (L.Milloy). (2:29) T.Hightower right end to ATL 38 for 2 yards (C.Lofton, C.Houston). 1-10-ATL 40 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. 3-16-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 ==== Quarter Summary ==== Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals
Score 24 30
Time Poss 3:54 11:06
First Downs R P X T 1 3 0 4 1 3 1 5
Efficiencies 3Down 4Down 1/3 1/1 1/4 0/0
Page 1
X11
R12
P17
R18
P19 P20
P13
P14
P15
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 2217. 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 2216 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 yardper-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 threeyear 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 twominute 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 300yard 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; thirdand-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 94year-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 8year-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 RECORDS Total Regular Season Games Played: 656 Regular 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, SEASON 16 (14 regular — 2 playoff) 12 (all regular season) 12 (11 regular — 1 playoff) 11 (10 regular season — 1 playoff)
(1998) (1980) (2004) (1991)
BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE, OVERALL SEASON .842 (16–3) 1998 .706 (12–5) 1980 Best 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) CONSECUTIVES Most Consecutive Wins 9 (1998) 9 (1980) 7 (1973) 6 (Last 2, 1985 — 1st 4, 1986) Most Consecutive Home Wins 11 (3 in 1997, 8 in 1998) 7 (5 in 1980, 2 in ‘81) 7 (1978) Most Consecutive Road Wins 6 (1980) 4 (1973) 4 (1998) 4 (2005) Most Consecutive Losses 11 (Last 7, 1967 — 1st 4, 1968 9 (1st 9 played, 1984) 8 (1st 8 played, 1996) ATTENDANCE Home Season, (10 games) 703,423 (1992) 703,361 (2006) 701,556 (2005) 700,731 (2003) 694,793 (2004) Largest Attendance, Home Game 71,151 (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 Game 83,437 (11–26–67 at NO, Tulane Stadium) Consecutive Sellouts, Home (Regular Season) 38 (2002–07) 28 (1971–74) LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY 55 at N.O.,62–7 41 at Car., 41–0 41 at S.D., 41–0 40 vs. Chi., 46–6 36 vs. T.B., 43–7
(9–16–73) (11–24–02) (10–21–73) (10–14–73) (11–17–91)
LARGEST MARGIN OF LOSSES 59 at LA Ram., 0–59 46 at K.C., 10–56 44 at Balt., 0–44 43 at StL., 16–59
(12–4–76) (10–24–04) (12–1–68) (11–10–96)
BIGGEST COMEBACKS 21 vs. G. B. (11–27–83) Down 21–0, Won 47–41–OT 21 at N.Y.J. (10–23–83) Down 21–0, Won 27–21 18 at StL. (11–9–80) Down 24–6, Won 33–27 OT 17 at Pitt. (11–10–02) Down 34–17, Tied 34–34 OT 17 vs. S. F. (12–11–93) Down 24–7, Won 27–24 17 vs. LA Ram (10–18–87) Down 17–0, Won 24–20 17 at G. B. (9–13–81) Down 17–0, Won 31–17 LONGEST GAME PLAYED 4:23 S. F.
(10–6–85)
SHORTEST GAME PLAYED 2:16 at N. E.
(9–24–72)
SCORING Most Points, Season 442 426 405 402 394 Most Points, Game 62 at N. O. (7) 51 vs. Car. (23) 48 vs. Chi. (31) 47 vs. Hou. (27) 47 vs. G. B. (41), OT Most Points, First Half 34 vs. Det. 33 vs. T. B. Most Points, Second Half 38 at N. O. Most Points, One Quarter 33 vs. T.B., (2nd Qtr) 31 at G.B., (4th Qtr) Most Points, Each Quarter 1st: 21 vs. DET 21 vs. Ten 21 vs. Mia 21 vs. Hou 21 vs. Hou 2nd: 33 vs. T. B. 24 vs. Wash. 24 at N. O. 3rd: 24 at N. O. 4th: 31 at G. B. Most Points, Both Teams, Game 90 Atlanta (33) vs. Pitt. (57) 88 Atlanta (47) at G.B. (41) 85 Atlanta (44) vs. Sea. (41) 80 Atlanta (35) vs. S.F. (45) 79 Atlanta (38) at Det.(41) 79 Atlanta (48) vs. Chi. (31) Most Points, Both Teams, By Quarter 1st: 34 Atlanta (13) at LA Rai. (21) 2nd: 41 Atlanta (20) at N.O.(21) 3rd: 35 Atlanta (14) vs. Pitt. (21) 4th: 43 Atlanta (28) vs. CAR (15) Most Touchdowns, Season 53 52 50 46
(1998) (1981) (1980) (2002) (2008) (9–16–73) (10–4–98) (11–16–69) (9–9–90) (11–27–83) (10–5–80) (11–17–91) (9–16–73) (11–17–91) (9–13–81) (9-7-08) (11–23–03) (12–27–98) (9–9–90) (9–23–84) (11–17–91) (12–17–89) (9–16–73) (10–19–80) (9–13–81) (12–18–66) (11–27–83) (12–30–07) (10–14–90) (10–3–71) (11–16–69) (11–30–75) (9–2–79) (12–18–66) (11–23–08) (1998) (1981) (1980) (1983)
records / team records Most Touchdowns, Game 8 at N. O. 6 vs. CAR 6 at Car. 6 vs. Car. 6 vs. Hou. 6 vs. N. O. 6 vs. Chi. Most Touchdowns, Both Teams, Game 12 Atlanta (5) vs. Pitt. (7) Most PATs, Season 51 51 46 43 Most PATs, Game 8 at N. O. 6 Four times Most PATs, Both Teams 11 Atlanta (5) vs. San Fran. (6) 10 Atlanta (5) vs. Sea. (5) 10 Atlanta (5) at G. B. (5) 10 Atlanta (5) at Det. (5) 10 Atlanta (6) vs. Chi. (4) Most Two–Point Conversions, Season 4 (4–for–4) 3 (3–for–8) 3 (3–for–4) Most FG’s, Season 33 (40 att.) 32 (40 att.) 29 (31 att.) 29 (37 att.) 26 (27 att.) 26 (34 att.) 26 (38 att.) Most FG’s Made, Game 6 at N. O. 5 seven times, Last time vs. Det. Most FG’s Made, Both Teams 8 Atlanta (6) at N.O.(2) 7 Atlanta (1) at S.F. (6) 7 Atlanta (2) at Car. (5) 7 Atlanta (1) vs. StL. (6) 7 Atlanta (5) vs. LA Ram. (2) Most FG’s Attempted, Game 6 at N.O.,(6 made) 6 vs. S.F., (3 made) Most FG’s Attempted, Both Teams 10 Atlanta (3) vs. StL. (7) Most Consecutive Games Scored In 160 114 77 FIRST DOWNS Most First Downs, Season 336 325 319 318 Most First Downs, Game 35 vs. N. O. 34 vs. StL. (Cardinals) 32 vs. N. O. Most First Downs, Both Teams 59 Atlanta (35) at N. Orleans (24) Most First Downs, Rushing, Season 149 149
(9–16–73) (11-23-08) (11–24–02) (10–4–98) (9–23–84) (12–7–69) (11–16–69) (12–18–66) (1998) (1981) (1980) (1983) (9–16–73) (10–14–90) (12–30–07) (11–27–83) (10–3–71) (11–16–69) (2005) (1995) (1994) (1995) (2002) (2008) (2001) (1993) (2007) (1973) (11–13–94) (12–22–02) (11–13–94) (9–29–96) (9–1–96) (12–9–73) (11–4–73) (11–13–94) (10–7–73) (12–11–66) (1993–2003) (1978–86) (1988–93)
(1980) (1983) (1998) (1981) (1979) (1980) (1973) (9–2–79) (1986) (1985)
145 Most First Downs, Rushing, Game 19 vs. N. O. Most First Downs, Passing, Season 218 216 202 194 190 Most First Downs, Passing, Game 22 vs. Det. 21 at StL. Cardinals 20 vs. LA Ram Most First Downs, Penalty, Season 35 33 31 31 30 30 Most First Downs, Penalty, Game 7 at Clev. TOTAL YARDS Most Net Yards Gained, Season 5,779 5,661 5,650 5,628 Most Yards Gained, Game 587 vs. Cards, (209–R, 378–P) 569 vs. N. O., (257–R, 312–P) Most Yards Gained, Game, Both Teams 1,092 Atlanta (447) at Pitt. (645) 1,061 Atlanta (552) at N.O.(509) Most Total Plays, Season 1,144 1,090 1,086 RUSHING Most Yards Gained, Season *2,939 *2,672 *2,546 2,524 2,466 * NFL leader Most Yards Gained, Game 318 vs. DET 306 vs. T. B. 297 vs. L. A. Ram Most Yards Gained, Both Teams, Game 476 Atlanta (169) vs. Wash. (307) Most Rushing Attempts, Season 582 578 560 559 559 Most Rushing Attempts, Game 58 at T. B. Most Rushing Att. Both Teams, Game 105 Atlanta (43) at Oak. (62) Best Rushing Average, Season 5.5 5.099 4.79 4.528 4.523
(1980) (10–24–71) (1994) (1995) (1996) (1992) (1983) (11–5–95) (11–9–80) (9–11–94) (2000) (1998) (2004) (1978) (2002) (2001) (9–27–81)
(2008) (1981) (1980) (1983) (11–9–80) (9–2–79) (11–10–02) (9–2–79) (1981) (1985) (1986)
(2006) (2004) (2005) (1986) (1985) (9-7-08) (9–17–06) (10–1–72) (11–3–85) (1977) (1986) (2008) (1985) (1980) (11–27–77) (11–30–75) (2006) (2004) (2005) (2002) (1969)
records / team records Most TD’s Rushing, Season 23 23 20 18 18 17 17 17 Most TD’s Rushing, Game 5 vs. CAR 5 at S. D.
(2008) (2002) (2004 (1998) (1973) (2005) (2003) (1983) (11-23-08) (10–21–73)
PASSING Most Net Yards Passing, Season 4,186 (1995) 4,112 (1994) 3,700 (1981) 3,695 (2001) 3,655 (1996) Most Net Yards Passing, Game 422 vs. Buf. (12–23–01) 416 vs. Pitt. (11–15–81) Most Net Yds Passing, Both Teams, Game 807 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, Season 629 (1994) 603 (1995) 600 (1996) 578 (1989) 573 (1993) Most Passing Attempts, Game 66 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, Game 102 Atlanta (45) vs. S.F. (57) (10–6–85) Most Passes Completed, Season 374 (629 att) (1994) 366 (548 att.) (1992) 364 (603 att) (1995) 356 (600 att.) (1996) 336 (555 att.) (2007) Most Passes Completed, Game 37 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, Game 68 Atlanta (31) vs. S.F. (37) (10–6–85) Best Completion Percentage, Season 64.0 (1982) 63.3 (1983) 61.5 (1984) 61.3 (1992) 61.1 (2008) Most TD Passes, Season 33 (1992) 31 (1980) 30 (1991, ‘81) 28 (1998, ‘93) 26 (1997, ‘96, ‘95) Most TD Passes, Game 5 at T. B. (12–13–92)
Most TD Passes, Both Teams, Game 10 Atlanta (4) vs. S.F. (6) 8 Atlanta (2) at Wash. (6) Most Passes Had Intercepted, Season 32 (501 att.) 31 (355 att.) 30 (600 att.) 29 (388 att.) 26 (297 att.) Most Passes Had Intercepted, Game 6 vs. StL. Ram 6 at Hou. 6 vs. L. A. Ram Most Passes Had Int, Both Teams, Game 8 Atlanta (3) vs. Den. (5) 7 Atlanta (6) vs. StL. (1) Fewest Passes, Intercepted, Season 10 (507 att.) 11(434 att.) 11 (484 att.) 11 (275 att.) 12 (479 att.) 12 (603 att.) 12 (578 att.) 12 (320 att.) 12 (282 att.) Most Times Sacked, Season 70 (527 yds.) 69 (531 yds.) 67 (496 yds.) Most Times Sacked, Game 11 at Clev. 11 at StL. Most Times Sacked, Game, Both Teams 17 Atlanta (8) vs. Phil. (9) 15 Atlanta (10) at N. Orleans (5) Fewest Times Sacked, Season 17 (434 att.) 25 (219 att.) 31 (500 att.) 31 (239 att.) 32 (294 att.) Fewest Sacks Per Play, Season 1 per 25.5 plays 1 per 17.1 plays 1 per 16.1 plays 1 per 15.2 plays PUNTING Highest Punting Average, Season 44.32 43.69 43.45 43.30 43.25 Most Punts, Season 110 106 101 Most Punts, Game 12 vs. Wash. PUNT RETURNS Highest Punt Return Average, Season 14.3 13.6 12.5 12.4 11.6 Most Punt Returns, Season 60
(10–14–90) (11–10–91) (1987) (1974) (1996) (1975) (1977) (12–15–96) (12–5–93) (10–1–72) (11–23–75) (12–15–96) (1983) (2008) (1997) (1982) (2002) (1995) (1989) (1973) (1969) (1968) (1985) (1984) (11–18–84) (11–23–68) (12–14–84) (10–12–97) (2008) (1982) (1991) (1971) (1975) (2008) (1997, 1994) (1991) (1981)
(1968) (1967) (2007) (1966) (1993) (1978) (1977) (1976) (12–10–78)
(2003) (2001) (1974) (2004) (1999) (1976)
records / team records 59 53 52 51 Most Punt Returns, Game 8 at Det. 8 at S. F. 8 vs. Chi. Most Yards Gained, Season 635 613 536 489 483 Most Yards Gained, Game 139 vs. Dal. 137 vs. N. O. Most TD Returns, Season 2 Most TD Returns, Game 1 13 Times , Last time vs. CAR
(1977) (1980) (1997) (1974) (11–12–00) (10–23–76) (10–13–74) (1974) (2003) (1980) (1983) (1997) (11–11–01) (10–25–70) (1970, 1999) (11–23–08)
KICKOFF RETURNS Highest Kickoff Return Average, Season 25.15 (1998) 25.03 (1971) 24.39 (2007) 23.94 (1992) 23.86 (2008) 23.64 (1993) Most Kickoff Returns, Season 87 (1996) 83 (2000) 82 (1966) 79 (2003) 76 (1999) Most Kickoff Returns, Game 10 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, Season 1,890 (2000) 1,825 (1996) 1,737 (1966) 1,781 (2007) 1,700 (1987) Most Yards Gained, Game 257 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, Season 3 (2000) 2 (1997, ‘92) 1 (1967, 69, 78, 85, 87, 90, 91, 93, 98, 01, 02) TURNOVERS/TAKEAWAYS Most Fumbles Had, Season 42 41 40 Most Fumbles Lost, Season 24 22 21 Most Fumbles Had, Game 7 at L. A. Rams Most Fumbles Had, Game, Both Teams 11 at Det. (Lions 6, Falcons 5)
(1972) (1978) (1973, ‘90) (1974) (1969) (1973, ‘76, ‘84) (9–28–69) (8–31–97 )
Most Fumbles Lost, Game 5 vs. N. O. 5 at N. O. 5 at N. O. Most Turnovers, Season 55 (24 Fum., 31 int.) 49 (17 Fum., 32 int.) 48 (19 Fum., 29 int.) 45 (21 Fum., 24 int.) Most Takeaways, Season 48 47 46 Most Interceptions, Season 26 26 25 24 Biggest Turnover Differential, Season +23 (48 Takeaways, 25 Turnovers) +20 (44 Takeaways, 24 Turnovers) +16 (42 Takeaways, 26 Turnovers) +16 (47 Takeaways, 31 Turnovers) +12 (39 Takeaways, 27 Turnovers) + 9 (30 Takeaways, 21 Turnovers) Biggest Turnover Deficit, Season –26 (29 Takeaways, 55 Turnovers) –22 (27 Takeaways, 49 Turnovers) –18 (23 Takeaways, 41 Turnovers) –18 (24 Takeaways, 42 Turnovers) QUARTERBACK SACKS MADE Most Sacks, Season 55 48 47 47 46 Most Sack Yardage, Season 425 396 391 389 344 Most Sacks, Game 10 at N.O. 9 vs. Min. 9 vs. Car. 9 vs. N.Y.G. OPPONENT FUMBLES/RECOVERIES Most Fumbles, Season 45 43 37 37 Most Recoveries, Season 28 25 25 22 22 Most Fumbles, Game 7 at Min. 7 vs. Phi. 6 vs. Car. 6 at Det. 6 vs. S. F. 6 vs. Hou.
(11–25–79) (10–10–76) (10–15–72) (1974) (1987) (1975) (1976) (1977) (1969) (1981) (1980) (1977) (1975, ‘81, ‘94) (1988, ‘02) (1977) (1998) (1980) (1969) (2002) (1995) (1974) (1987) (1996) (1993)
(1997) (2004) (2002) (1978) (1980) (1978) (1980) (1977) (1989) (1997) (10–12–97) (10–2–05) (9–3–95) (10–2–77)
(1978) (1981) (1998) (1969) (1969) (1998) (1978) (1977) (1976) (12-21-08) (10–5–76) (12–18–04) (8–31–97) (12–11–93) (9–23–84)
records / team records & DEFENSIVE BEST PENALTIES Most Penalties, Season 130 (1,083 yds.) 126 (1,149 yds.) 125 (1,004 yds.) 124 (1,011 yds.) Most Penalties, Game 17 at S. F. 16 vs. Hou. 16 at Clev. 16 vs. G. B. Fewest Penalties, Season 63 (601 yds.) 63 (659 yds.) 65 (593 yds ) Fewest Penalties, Game 1 14 Times Last vs. Car. Most Yards, Penalties, Game 153 vs. G.B., (16 penalties)
(1978) (1985) (1990) (1984) (11–5–78) (9–9–90) (11–8–87) (12–26–82) (1969) (1968) (1973 (9–23–01) (12–26–72)
TIME OF POSSESSION Largest 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) INTERCEPTIONS Most Interceptions, Season 26 26 25 25 24 24 Most Interceptions, Game 6 at N. O. 6 vs. LA Rams
(1980) (1977) (1981) (1975) (2002) (1988) (9–16–73) (10–1–72)
DEFENSIVE BEST POINTS Fewest Points Allowed, Season 129 Fewest Points Allowed, Game 0-13 Times Last at OAK. Fewest TD’s Allowed, Season 15 FIRST DOWNS Fewest First Downs, Season 170 192 Fewest First Downs, Game 3 at OAK Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Season 66 Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Game 1 Six Times Last at Ari. Fewest First Downs, Passing, Season 76 Fewest First Downs, Passing, Game 0 at OAK 0 at L. A. Rams PASSING Fewest Net Yards Allowed, Season 1,384
(1977) (11–2–08) (1977)
(1982) (1977) (11–2–08) (1982) (12–23–07) (1977) (11-2-08) (9–23–73)
(1977)
Fewest Net Yards Allowed, Game 9 vs. StL. 10 at OAK 15 vs. N. E. Fewest Passing Attempts, Game 8 vs. G. B. (3 Comp.) Fewest Passes Completed, Game 2 vs. StL. (10 Att.) Fewest TDs Allowed, Passing, Season 9 9 YARDS Fewest Net Yards Allowed, Season 2,848 3,242 Fewest Net Yards Allowed, Game 77 at OAK 78 vs. T. B. (62–R, 16–P) Fewest Yds Rushing Per Attempt, Season 3.2 Fewest Yards Allowed, Rushing, Season 1,044 1,203 1,357 1,547 1,666 Fewest Yards Allowed, Rushing, Game 18 at N. E. (14 att.) 22 vs. Det. (26 att.) 29 vs. Hou. (12 att.) 30 vs. StL. (15 att.) 30 vs. Car. (20 att.) Fewest Rushing Attempts, Game 11 at T.B., (40 yards) 11 at Det., (34 yards) Fewest TD’s Allowed, Rushing, Season 5 7
(12–9–73) (11-2-08) (11–29–92) (11–22–71) (12–9–73) (1977) (1971)
(1982) (1977) (11-2-08) (11–27–77) (1998) (1982) (1998) (1990) (1995) (1981) (11–8–98) (10–15–78) (9–9–90) (9–19–04) (10–29–00) (12–2–90) (9–18–83) (1977) (1998)
records / club records - fewest POINTS Fewest Points Scored, Season 111 (1974) 170 (1968) 172 (1976) Fewest Points Scored, Game 0-21 Times , Last time at StL. (10–13–03) Fewest Points Scored, Game, Both Teams 3 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, Season 12 (1974) 20 (1977) 20 (1976) 20 (1968) Fewest PAT’s, Season 12 (1974) 17 (1968) 19 (1976) Fewest FG’s, Season 4 (1974) 7 (1967) 9 (1966, ‘70, ‘74) Fewest First Downs, Season 178 (1968, ‘74) Fewest First Downs, Game 2 at L. A. Rams (9–23–73) Fewest First Downs, Game, Both Teams 14 Atlanta (5) vs. Min. (9) (12–21–69) Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Season 63 (1994) 65 (2000) 67 (1992, ‘96) Fewest First Downs, Rushing, Game 0 Six Times, Last time vs. N.Y.G. (10–8–00) Fewest First Downs, Passing, Season 80 (1977) Fewest First Downs, Passing, Game 0 at Chi. (11–24–85) Fewest First Downs, Penalty, Season 9 (1968) TOTAL YARDS Fewest Net Yards Gained, Season 2,800 Fewest Net Yards Gained, Game 44 at San Fran., (83 run, -39 pass) Fewest Net Yards Gained, Both Teams 253 Atlanta (156) at S.F. (97) RUSHING Fewest Yards Gained, Season 1,155 1,181 1,196 1,214 1,249 Fewest Yards Gained, Game 13 vs. N.Y.G. 21 at Det. 24 vs. L. A. Rams 24 at Chi. Fewest Yds Gained, Both Teams, Game 79 Atlanta (29) vs. S.F. (50) Fewest Rushing Attempts, Season 310 318 322 329
(1974) (10–23–76) (11–6–77)
(1989) (1982) (1999) (2000) (1994) (10–8–00) (9–5–93) (12–1–74) (9–27–92) (10–14–90) (1982) (1989) (1992) (1986)
330 (1994) Fewest Rushing Attempts, Game 8 at Det. (9–5–93) 9 vs. Wash. (12–17–89) 10 at Chi. (9–27–92) Fewest Rushing Attempts, Both Teams, Game 34 Atlanta (15) vs. S.F. (19) (12–24–95) 35 Atlanta (12) at Hou. (23) (12–5–93) PASSING Fewest Net Yards, Season 1,307 1,356 1,414 Fewest Net Yards, Game (-39) at S. F. Fewest Net Yards Both Teams, Game 37 Atlanta (-39) at S.F. (76) Fewest Passes Attempted, Season 275 (176 Comp.) 282 (149 Comp.) Fewest Passes Attempted, Game 9 at L. A. Rams 9 at Chi. 9 vs. L. A. Rams Fewest Passes Att. Both Teams, Game 21 Atlanta (9) at Chi. (12) Fewest Passes Intercepted, Season 10 (507 att.) Fewest Passes Completed, Season 140 (297 att.) Fewest Passes Completed, Game 2 vs. L. A. Rams 2 at L. A. Rams Fewest Passes Comp., Both Teams, Game 10 Atlanta (8) vs. StL. (2) 10 Atlanta (6) vs. Chi. (4) 10 Atlanta (6) vs. Min. (4) Fewest Touchdown Passes, Season 4 Fewest Sacks Allowed, Season 17 25 31 INTERCEPTIONS Fewest INT’s, Season *6 * NFL Record *10 * Strike season 11 11 12 13 PUNTING Fewest Punts, Season 43 60 65 Fewest Punts, Game 1 Six times, Last time vs. S. F. PENALTIES Fewest Penalties, Season 63 (601 yards) 63 (659 yards) Fewest Penalties, Game 1 14 Times, Last time vs. Car.
(1974) (1977) (1976) (10–23–76) (10–23–76) (1982) (1969) (9–23–73) (9–17–72) (10–1–72) (9–17–83) (1983) (1977) (10–1–72) (9–23–73) (12–9–73) (9–17–72) (12–21–69) (1974) (2008) (1982) (1971, ‘91)
(1996) (1982) (2008) (1992) (1999, ‘84, ‘78) (1993)
(1982) (1971) (2008) (10–16–94)
(1969) (1968) (9–23–01)
records / club records - fewest & OPPONENT RECORDS Fewest Yards Penalties, Season 542 FUMBLES Fewest Fumbles, Season 14 18 18 19 20 21 Fewest Fumbles Lost, Season 9 OPPONENT TEAM RECORDS Most Points Scored, Game 59 Rams 59 Rams Points By Quarters, Game 1st: 28, Bills 2nd: 28, Redskins 28, Cardinals 28, Vikings 3rd: 21, Raiders 21, Redskins 21, Vikings 21, Dolphins 21, Packers 21, Steelers 4th: 24, Rams Most Yards Gained, Game *645 Steelers (463 pass), (182 rush) 595 Colts (426 Pass), (169 Rush) 590 49ers (399 Pass), (191 Rush) 569 Ram. (359 Pass), (210 Rush) *overtime Most Yards Rushing, Game 321 Browns (57 Att.) 315 Bills(44 Att.) 307 Redskins (37 Att.) *286 Rams (62 Att.) *overtime Most Rushing Att, Game 64 Vikings Most TDs Rushing, Game 8 Chiefs 7 Rams 5 49ers Most Net Yds Passing, Game 499 Broncos 463 Steelers 451 Redskins 442 49ers Most Pass Attempts, Game 58 Saints 57 49ers Most Pass Comp, Game 37 49ers 36 Cardinals 35 Dolphins Most TD Passes, Game 6 Redskins 6 49ers 6 Browns Most Had Intercepted, Game 6 Rams 6 Saints Most Punts, Game 11 Giants 10 13 times
(1988)
(1982) (2008) (2007) (1991) (1967) (1995) (2007, 98, ‘95, ‘80, ‘77)
(at StL.), (11–10–96) (at LA),(12–4–76) (11–22–92) (11–3–85) (12–17–78) (9–14–68) (9–14–97) (12–17–89) (9–16–84) (11–3–74) (10–6–68) (12–18–66) (11–19–67) (11–10–02) (11–12–67) (10–18–92) (12–4–76) (10–17–76) (11–22–92) (11–3–85) (11–30–75) (211 yds.), (11–9–75) (10–24–04) (12–4–76) (11–9–92) (10–31–04) (11–10–02) (11–10–91) (10–14–90) (11-9-08) (10–6–85) (10–6–85) (12–23–07) (12–3–95) (11–10–91) (10–14–90) (10–30–66) (11–10–96) (9–16–73) (10–25–81)
Most Punt Returns, Game 9 49ers Most Fair Catches, Game 6 Giants 6 Vikings Most Yards, Punt Ret, Game 219 Rams Most TD’s Punt Ret, Game 2 Rams 2 Rams Most KO Returns, Game 9 Panthers 9 Lions Most KO Return Yds, Game 242 Chargers Most Fumbles, Game 7 2 times, Last at Vikings Most Fumbles Lost, Game 4 11 times, Last at Vikings Most Penalties, Game 16 49ers 16 Saints 15 Bills 15 Rams 14 Titans 14 Chiefs Most Penalty Yards, Game 137 Cardinals (9 penalties) 135 Raid., (11 penalties) 135 Ram., (12 penalties) 133 Saints, (16 penalties) 133 Browns, (13 penalties) Most Combined Penalty Yds, Game 253 Atl, (9–125) . at Raid., (10–128)
(10–29–72) (10–15–07) (11–28–71) (10–11–81) (12–27–92) (10–11–81) (10–4–98) (10–5–80) (10–21–73) (12-21-08) (12-21-08) (1–3–00) (11–17–02) (12–18–83) (9–19–82) (12–19–99) (9–18–94) (11–28–82) (11–19–70) (11–19–67) (11–17–02) (9–17–78) (10–14–79)
records / individual records SCORING Most Points Career 806 Morten Andersen 558 Mick Luckhurst 436 Jay Feely 395 Norm Johnson 354 Terance Mathis 338 Andre Rison 288 Gerald Riggs 271 Nick Mike–Mayer 250 Jamal Anderson 246 William Andrews 240 Alfred Jenkins 236 Greg Davis 230 Tim Mazzetti 216 Warrick Dunn 212 Alge Crumpler 204 Michael Haynes 186 T.J. Duckett 186 Jim Mitchell 168 Wallace Francis 156 Haskel Stanback 150 Lynn Cain 147 Bill Bell 144 Bert Emanuel 144 Art Malone 132 Alfred Jackson Most Points, Season 138 Jay Feely 129 Jason Elam 122 Morten Andersen 120 Morten Andersen 115 Jay Feely 114 Mick Luckhurst 112 Norm Johnson 112 Nick Mike–Mayer 106 Greg Davis 104 Todd Peterson 104 Morten Andersen 103 Tim Mazzetti 102 Michael Turner 101 Mick Luckhurst 99 Morten Andersen 98 Morten Andersen 98 Jamal Anderson 97 Morten Andersen 95 Norm Johnson 95 Norm Johnson 94 Jay Feely 94 Mick Luckhurst 93 Norm Johnson 91 Mick Luckhurst 90 Andre Rison 89 Jay Feely 82 Greg Davis 79 Morten Andersen 79 Bill Bell
(1995–00, 2006-07) (1981–87) (2001–04) (1991–94) (1994–01) (1990–94) (1982–88) (1973–77) (1994–01) (1979–86) (1975–83) (1987–90) (1978–80) (2002–07) (2001–07) (1988–93, ‘97) (2002–05) (1969–79) (1975–81) (1974–79) (1979–84) (1971–72) (1994–97) (1970–74) (1978–84) (2002) (2008) (1995) (1998) (2001) (1981) (1993) (1973) (1990) (2005) (1997) (1980) (2008) (1985) (2007) (2000) (1998) (1996) (1991) (1994) (2004) (1983) (1992) (1984) (1993) (2003) (1988) (1999) (1972)
Most Points, Game 24 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, Career 57 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, Season 17 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)
records / individual records Most Touchdowns, Game 4 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 Scored 7 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, Career 6 Terance Mathis (1994–01) 3 Brian Finneran (2000–08) Most Two–Point Conversions, Season 3 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) KICKING Most PAT’s Made, Career 254 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, Career 256 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, Season 51 Morten Andersen (1998) 51 Mick Luckhurst (1981) 46 Tim Mazzetti (1980) 43 Mick Luckhurst (1983) Most PAT’s Attempted, Season 52 Morten Andersen (1998) 51 Mick Luckhurst (1981) 49 Tim Mazzetti (1980) 45 Mick Luckhurst (1983) Most PAT’s Made, Game 8 Nick Mike–Mayer at N. Orleans (9–16–73) Most PAT’s Attempted, Game 8 Nick Mike–Mayer at N. Orleans (9–16–73) Most Consecutive PAT’s Made 153 Morten Anderson (1998 W4–2000,2006–07) 139 Norm Johnson (1991–94) 134 Mick Luckhurst (1983–87) Most FG’s Made, Career 184 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, Season 32 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, Game 6 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, Career 224 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, Season 40 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, Game 6 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 Made 26 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, Career 15 Morten Andersen (1995–00) 8 Norm Johnson (1991–94)
records / individual records 8 Mick Luckhurst (1981–87) Most 50–yard FGs, Season 8 Morten Andersen (1995) 4 Norm Johnson (1992) 3 Mick Luckhurst (1984) Most 50–yard FGs, Game 3 Morten Andersen* vs. N.O.(12–10–95) *( tied for NFL Record, Neil Rackers in ‘04) Longest Field Goal, Career 59 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) RUSHING Most Yards Gained, Career 6,631 Gerald Riggs 5,986 William Andrews 5,981 Warrick Dunn 5,336 Jamal Anderson 3,859 Michael Vick 3,482 Dave Hampton 2,662 Haskel Stanback 2,263 Lynn Cain 2,250 Jim Butler 2,183 Craig Heyward 2,175 T.J. Duckett 2,118 Art Malone 1,981 Erric Pegram 1,801 John Settle 1,735 Jerious Norwood 1,699 Michael Turner 1,612 Junior Coffey 1,528 Bubba Bean 1,472 Steve Broussard 1,321 Harmon Wages 1,036 Mike Rozier Most Yards Gained, Season 1,846 Jamal Anderson 1,719 Gerald Riggs 1,699 Michael Turner 1,567 William Andrews 1,486 Gerald Riggs 1,416 Warrick Dunn 1,327 Gerald Riggs 1,308 William Andrews 1,301 William Andrews 1,185 Erric Pegram 1,140 Warrick Dunn 1,106 Warrick Dunn 1,083 Craig Heyward 1,055 Jamal Anderson 1,039 Michael Vick 1,024 Jamal Anderson 1,024 John Settle 1,023 William Andrews 1,002 Jamal Anderson 1,002 Dave Hampton Most 1,000–yard Seasons 4 Jamal Anderson 4 William Andrews 3 Warrick Dunn 3 Gerald Riggs Most Consecutive 1,000–yard Seasons 3 Warrick Dunn 3 Jamal Anderson 3 Gerald Riggs 3 William Andrews
(1982–88) (1979–86) (2002–07) (1994–01) (2001–06) (1972–76) (1974–79) (1979–84) (1968–71) (1994–95) (2002–05) (1970–74) (1991–94) (1987–90) (2006–08) (2008) (1966–67, 1969) (1976–80) (1990–93) (1968–73) (1990–91) (1998) (1985) (2008) (1983) (1984) (2005) (1986) (1980) (1981) (1993) (2006) (2004) (1995) (1996) (2006) (2000) (1988) (1979) (1997) (1975) (1996–98, 2000) (1979–81, 1983) (2004–06) (1984–86) (2004–06) (1996–98) (1984–86) (1979–81)
Most Yards Gained, Game 220 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 QB Most Rushing Attempts, Career 1,587 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, Season 410 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, Game 41 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, Career 25 Gerald Riggs (1982–88) 22 William Andrews (1979–86) 19 Warrick Dunn (2002–07) 19 Jamal Anderson (1996–2000) Most 100–Yard Games, Season 12 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, Career 48 Gerald Riggs (1982–88) 34 Jamal Anderson (1994–01) 31 T.J. Duckett (2002–05) 30 Warrick Dunn (2002–07)
records / individual records 30 William Andrews (1979–86) Most TDs Rushing, Season 17 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, Game 4 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 TD 7 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 PASSING Most Yards Gained Passing, Career 23,470 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, Season 4,143 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, Career 12 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, Season 4 Jeff George (1995) 3 Wade Wilson (1992) 3 Chris Miller (1989) 3 Steve Bartkowski (1981 and 1983) Most Gross Yards Passing, Game 431 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, Career 3,330 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, Season 557 Jeff George (1995) 533 Steve Bartkowski (1981) 526 Chris Miller (1989) 524 Jeff George (1994) 488 Bobby Hebert (1996) Most Passes Attempted, Game 66 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, Career 1,871 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, Season 336 Jeff George (1995) 322 Jeff George (1994) 297 Steve Bartkowski (1981) 294 Bobby Hebert (1996) 280 Chris Miller (1989) Most Passes Completed, Game 37 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, Completed 13 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, Career 61.1 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)
records / individual records .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, Career 87.7 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, Career 154 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, Season 31 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, Game 5 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 Pass 27 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., Career 2.18 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, Career 141 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, Season 25 Bobby Hebert (1996) 23 Steve Bartkowski (1981) 21 Randy Johnson (1967) 21 Randy Johnson (1966) 20 Steve Bartkowski (1979) Most Interceptions, Game 6 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) RECEIVING Most Passes Caught, Career 573 Terance Mathis 423 Andre Rison 360 Alfred Jenkins 316 Alge Crumpler 305 Jim Mitchell 277 William Andrews 266 Michael Haynes 260 Bert Emanuel 244 Wallace Francis 230 Roddy White Most Passes Caught, Season 111 Terance Mathis 104 Eric Metcalf 93 Andre Rison 89 Roddy White 86 Andre Rison 83 Roddy White
(1994–01) (1990–94) (1975–83) (2001–07) (1969–79) (1979–83, 86) (1988–93, 97) (1994–97) (1975–81) (2005-08) (1994) (1995) (1992) (2008) (1993) (2007)
records / individual records 82 Andre Rison (1990) 81 Terance Mathis (1999) 81 Andre Rison (1994) 81 Andre Rison (1991) 81 William Andrews (1981) Most 50+ Catch Seasons 8 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, Game 15 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, Career 7,349 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, Season 1,382Roddy 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, Game 198 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, Career 16 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, Season 7 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, Career 57 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, Season 15 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, Game 3 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 RETURNS Most Return Yards, Career 5,489 Allen Rossum 3,388 Deion Sanders 2,948 Jerious Norwood 2,597 Tim Dwight 2,573 Darrick Vaughn 1,989 Ron Smith 1,934 Sylvester Stamps 1,860 Jim Butler 1,655 Reggie Smith 1,453 Tony Smith Most Return Yards, Season 1,491 Darrick Vaughn 1,317 Jerious Norwood 1,311 Jerious Norwood 1,291 Allen Rossum 1,250 Allen Rossum 1,164 Allen Rossum 1,143 Reggie Smith 1,082 Allen Rossum 1,082 Darrick Vaughn 1,067 Deion Sanders
(2002–06) (1989–93) (2006-08) (1998–00) (2000–01) (1966–67) (1983–88) (1968–71) (1980–81) (1992–94) (2001) (2007) (2008) (2003) (2004) (2002) (1981) (2006) (2000) (1992)
records / individual records Most Return Yards, Game 249 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, Career 250 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, Season 62 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 Returns 100t 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, Career 4 Darrick Vaughn (2000–01) 3 Deion Sanders (1989–93) 2 Byron Hanspard (1997–99)
PUNT RETURNS Most Return Yards, Career 1,723 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, Season 545 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, Game 139 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, Career 154 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)
records / individual records Most Returns, Season 54 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, Game 8 Tim Dwight at Det. (11–12–00) 8 Rolland Lawrence at San Fran., (10–9–77) Most Touchdowns, Punt Returns, Career 2 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 Returns 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 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 RETURNS Combined Return Yards, Career 7,212 Allen Rossum 4,177 Deion Sanders 3,389 Tim Dwight 2,948 Jerious Norwood 2,573 Darrick Vaughn 2,161 Ron Smith 2,016 Reggie Smith 1,991 Eric Metcalf 1,942 Sylvester Stamps 1,938 Tony Smith 1,860 Jim Butler Most Combined Return Yards, Season 1,836 Allen Rossum 1,707 Allen Rossum 1,491 Darrick Vaughn 1,452 Allen Rossum 1,370 Allen Rossum 1,330 Eric Metcalf 1,317 Jerious Norwood 1,311Jerious Norwood 1,242 Reggie Smith 1,236 Tim Dwight 1,203 Tony Smith Most Combined Returns, Career 404 Allen Rossum 240 Deion Sanders 196 Tim Dwight 138 Rolland Lawrence 129 Billy Johnson 127 Eric Metcalf 117 Tony Smith
(2002–06) (1989–93) (1998–00) (2006-08) (2000–01) (1966–67) (1980–81) (1995–96) (1983–88) (1992–94) (1968–71) (2003) (2004) (2001) (2002) (2006) (1996) (2007) (2008) (1981) (1998) (1993) (2002–06) (1989–93) (1998–2000) (1973–80) (1982–87) (1995–96) (1992–94)
116 Jerious Norwood 113 Ron Smith 111 Reggie Smith Most Combined Returns, Season 101 Allen Rossum 95 Allen Rosum 77 Allen Rossum 76 Eric Metcalf 75 Rolland Lawrence 70 Tony Smith 68 Deion Sanders 67 Tim Dwight 67 Clarence Verdin 65 Tim Dwight
(2006-08) (1966–67) (1980–81) (2003) (2004) (2002) (1996) (1976) (1993) (1990) (1998) (1994) (2000)
COMBINED NET YARDS (Rushing, Receiving, KO & Punt Returns) Most Combined Yards, Career 8,704 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, Season 2,207 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, Game 296 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) PUNTING Highest Punting Average, Career 43.0 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)
records / individual records 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, Season 38.8 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, Career 873 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, Season 109 John James (1978) 105 John James (1977) 101 John James (1976) 98 Rick Donnelly (1988) 96 John James (1974) Most Punts, Game 12 John James vs. Wash., (12–10–78) 11 Rick Donnelly at Phi., (10–30–88) Most Punts Inside 20, Season 30 Michael Koenen (2007) 28 John James (1976) 27 Dan Stryzinski (2000) 27 Dan Stryzinski (1999) 27 Rick Donnelly (1988) Longest Punt 75 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, Season 45 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) INTERCEPTIONS Most Passes Intercepted, Career 39 Rolland Lawrence 31 Ray Brown 30 Ray Buchanan 30 Scott Case 29 Ken Reaves 27 Bobby Butler 24 Deion Sanders 21 Tom Pridemore 17 DeAngelo Hall 17 Tom Hayes
(1973–81) (1971–77) (1997–03) (1984–94) (1966–74) (1981–92) (1989–93) (1978–85) (2004–07) (1971–75)
Most Passes Intercepted, Season 10 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, Game 2-28 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, Career 658 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, Season 221 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, Game 101 Tom Pridemore vs. S.F. (1 INT), (9–20–81) Most Interceptions For TD’s, Career 3 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, Season 2 Kevin Mathis (2004) 2 Deion Sanders (1990) 2 Kenny Johnson (1983) 2 Tom Hayes (1973) Most Interceptions For TD’s, Game 2 Kenny Johnson vs. G.B. (26 and 31), (11–27–83) FUMBLE RECOVERIES Most Recoveries, Career 14 Greg Brezina (12) 13 Tom Pridemore (50) 13 Rolland Lawrence (20) 13 Tommy Nobis (6) 12 Chuck Smith (89) 11 Mike Gann (90 11 Claude Humphrey (49) 11 Don Hansen (14) 10 Keith Brooking (0) 10 Patrick Kerney (6) 10 Travis Hall (0) 10 Jessie Tuggle (155) 10 Rick Byas (68)
(1968–79) (1978–85) (1973–80) (1966–76) (1992–99) (1985–93) (1968–78) (1969–75) (1998–08) (1999–06) (1995–04) (1987–00) (1974–80)
records / individual records Most Recoveries, Season 5 Jeff Yeates (0) (1979) 5 Frank Reed (13) (1978) 5 Ralph Ortega (14 yards) (1977) 5 Greg Brezina (0) (1969) Most Recoveries, Game 2 Four Times, Last time by Travis Hall vs. Mia., (12–27–98) Most Yards, Fumble Recoveries, Career 155 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, Season 91 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 record 2 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, Season 2 Kenny Johnson (1981) 1-44 Times, Last time by DeAngelo Hall at Ten., 56 yds, (10–7–07) Most TD’s Fumble Recoveries, Game 1-44 Times Last time by DeAngelo Hall at Ten., 56 yds, (10–7–07) Safeties, Career 2 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) SACKS Most Sacks, Career 94.5 (757 yds) Claude Humphrey 58.5 (321.5 yds) Chuck Smith 58.0 (318.5 yds) Patrick Kerney 47.0 (395 yds) John Zook 41.5 (205.5 yds) Travis Hall 38.5 (311 yds) Don Smith 36.5 (211.5) Lester Archambeau 36.0 (314 yds) Jeff Merrow 32.0 (180 yds) Brady Smith 30.5 (214.5 yds) John Abraham 30.5 (232 yds) Rick Bryan Most Sacks, Season 16.5 John Abraham 16.0 Joel Williams 15.0 Claude Humphrey 13.0 Patrick Kerney 12.5 Claude Humphrey 12.0 Patrick Kerney 12.0 Chuck Smith 12.0 Claude Humphrey 11.5 Rod Coleman 11.5 Claude Humphrey 11.0 Chuck Smith
(1968–78) (1992–99) (1999–06) (1969–75) (1995–04) (1979–84) (1993–99) (1975–83) (2000–05) (2006-08) (1984–91) (2008) (1980) (1976) (2004) (1974) (2001) (1997) (1971) (2004) (1968) (1994)
Most Sacks, Game 5.0 Chuck Smith 5.0 Claude Humphrey 4.0 Claude Humphrey 3.5 Travis Hall 3.5 Chris Doleman 3.0 John Abraham 3.0 John Abraham 3.0 John Abraham 3.0 Michael Boley 3.0 Patrick Kerney 3.0 Brady Smith 3.0 Lester Archambeau 3.0 Chuck Smith 3.0 Travis Hall 3.0 Clay Matthews 3.0 Chuck Smith 3.0 Jumpy Geathers Most Sack Yards, Career 757.0 Claude Humphrey 395.0 John Zook 359.5 Chuck Smith 340.5 Patrick Kerney 314.0 Jeff Merrow 311.0 Don Smith 238.5 Travis Hall 232.0 Rick Bryan 219.0 Greg Brezina 211.5 Lester Archambeau Most Sack Yards, Season 137.5 Joel Williams 127.5 Claude Humphrey 109.5 John Abraham 103.5 Claude Humphrey 94.5 Patrick Kerney 91.0 Jeff Merrow 91.0 Al Richardson 88.0 Claude Humphrey 82.0 Chuck Smith 81.5 Rod Coleman 75.0 Chuck Smith
at N.O., (10–12–97) (Twice) at N.O.,( 12–19–71) vs. N.O., (11–23–97) vs. Car., (9–3–95) vs. TB, (12-14-08) at OAK, (11-2-08) vs. DET, (9-7-08) vs. Ind., (11–22–07) vs. Ari., (3–26–04) at Car., (11–24–02) at Car., (11–28–00) vs. Car., (10–31–99) at N.O., (10–12–97) vs. Car., (11–3–96) vs. Phi., (11–27–94) at Den., (11–20–94) (1968–78) (1969–75) (1992–99) (1999–2006) (1975–83) (1979–84) (1995–2004) (1984–91) (1968–69, 1971–79) (1993–99) (1980) (1976) (2008) (1971) (2004) (1977) (1981) (1977) (1994) (2004) (1997)
records / opponent individual records Most Points Scored 30 (5 TDs), Jerry Rice, S.F. 24 (4 TDs), Priest Holmes, K.C. 24 (4 TDs), Derrick Blaylock, K.C. 24 (4 TDs), Roy Jefferson, Pitt. 24 (4 TDs), Dan Reeves, Dal. Most TDs Scored 5 Jerry Rice, S.F. 4 Priest Holmes, K.C. 4 Derrick Blaylock, K.C. 4 Dan Reeves, Dal. 4 Roy Jefferson, Pitt. Most PAT Attempts 8 Chip Lohmiller, StL . 8 Don Chandler, G.B. Most PATs Made 8 Lawrence Tynes, K.C. 8 Chip Lohmiller, StL . 8 Mike Cofer, S.F. 8 Chip Lohmiller, Wash. 8 Don Chandler, G.B. Most FG Attempts 7 Jim Bakken, Ari. 6 Jeff Wilkins, S.F. Most FGs Made 6 Jeff Wilkins, S.F. 6 Jim Bakken, Ari. Longest FG 56 Yds Mike Cofer, S.F. 54 Yds Josh Brown, Sea. 54 Yds Michael Husted, T.B. 54 Yds Jan Stenerud, Min. 54 Yds John Hall, Wash. Most Yds Rushing 208 Marshall Faulk, StL (25 Att.) 191 Greg Pruitt, Browns, (26 Att.) Most Carries 37 Amos Zereoue, Pitt. (123 yds) 33 Lydell Mitchell, Bal .Colts, (151 yds) Highest Average 10.4 Delvin Williams, S.F., (10–104) 10.3 Keith Griffin, Wash., (16–164) Most TD’s Rushing 4 Priest Holmes, K.C. 4 Derrick Blaylock, K.C. Longest Run 91t Herschel Walker, Phi. 85t Brian Mitchell, Phi. Most Yds Passing 499 Jake Plummer, Den. 476 Joe Montana, S.F. 473 Tommy Maddox, Pitt. 442 Mark Rypien, Wash. 429 Joe Montana, S.F. Most Passing Attempts 58 Drew Brees, N.O. 57 Joe Montana, S.F. Most Completions 37 Joe Montana, S.F. 35 Kurt Warner, Ari. 35 Dan Marino, Mia. Most Consecutive Completions 17 Ken O’Brien, Jets Best Completion Pct. 93.8 (15–of–16), Steve Young, S.F. 85.7 (18–of–21), Troy Aikman Dal. 85.0 (17–of–20), Johnny Unitas, Bal Col. Longest TD Pass 99 yds Ron Jaworski, Phi. 97 yds Steve Young, S.F.
(10–14–90) (10–24–04) (10–24–04) (11–3–68) (11–5–67) (10–14–90) (10–24–04) (10–24–04) (11–5–67) (11–3–68) (11–10–96) (10–23–66) (10–24–04) (11–10–96) (10–18–92) (11–10–91) (10–23–66) (12–9–73) (9–29–96) (9–29–96) (12–9–73) (10–14–90) (12–30–07) (11–9–97) (9–16–84) (9–14–03) (10–15–00) (10–17–76) (11–10–02) (11–17–74) (12–14–75) (11–3–85) (10–24–04) (10–24–04) (11–27–94) (10–1–00) (10–31–04) (10–14–90) (11–10–02) (11–10–91) (10–6–85) (11-9-08) (10–6–85) (10–6–85) (12–23–07) (12–3–95) (11–9–86) (10–16–94) (12–21–92) (11–12–67) (11–10–85) (11–3–91)
Most TD Passes 6 Mark Rypien, Wash. 6 Joe Montana, S.F. Most Passes Had Intercepted 5 by Jim Hart, Ari. 5 by Archie Manning, N.O. Most Yds. Receiving 253 by Plaxico Burress, Pitt. 233 by Isaac Bruce, StL . 226 by Eddie Kennison, StL . Most Receptions 13 by Anquan Boldin, Ari. 13 by Jerry Rice, S.F. 12 by Jerry Rice, S.F. 12 by Roger Craig, S.F. Most TD Receptions 5 Jerry Rice, S.F. 4 Roy Jefferson, Pitt. Longest Reception 99t Mike Quick, Phi. 97t John Taylor, S.F. 93t Freddie Solomon, S.F. Most Interceptions 3 Keith Lyle, StL . 3 Albert Lewis, K.C. 3 Albert Lewis, K.C. 3 Paul Martha, Den. Longest INT Return 93t by Deion Sanders, S.F. Longest KOR 103t Tony Horne, StL . 102t Tony Horne, StL . 102t Alexander Wright, Dal. Most KOR’s 9 Michael Bates, Car. Most KOR Yards 207 Kevin Williams, Ari. 206 Tony Horne, StL . 201 Michael Lewis, N.O. Most KOR TD’s 1 15 times, Last time by Michael Spurlock, T.B. 90 yards Most Punt Returns 9 Ralph McGill, S.F. Most Punt Return Yards 204 LeRoy Irvin, LA Ram. Most TDs by Punt Return 2 Todd Kinchen, LA Rams 2 LeRoy Irvin, LA Rams Most Punts 11 Dave Jennings, N.Y.G. Highest Punting Avg. 54.7 Todd Sauerbrun, Car. Highest Return Avg.(3 return min.) 34.7 (3 ret), Henry Ellard, LA Rams Longest Fumble Return 97t Chuck Howley, Dal. 94t Keith Lyle, StL .
(11–10–91) (10–14–90) (11–9–80) (9–16–73) (11–10–02) (11–2–97) (12–15–96) (12–23–07) (10–14–90) (12–24–95) (10–6–85) (10–14–90) (11–3–68) (11–10–85) (11–3–91) (9–27–80) (12–15–96) (9–1–91) (12–8–85) (10–18–70) (10–16–94) (10–15–00) (11–29–98) (12–22–91) (10–4–98) (12–21–97) (11–1–98) (10–27–02) (12–16–07) (10–29–72) (10–11–81) (12–27–92) (10–11–81) (10–25–81) (11–25–01) (10–22–84) (9–18–66) (9–24–00)
records / top performances RUSHING YARDAGE 220 Michael Turner vs. DET, (22 att) 208 Michael Turner vs. StL, (25 att) 202 Gerald Riggs vs. N. O, (35 att) 197 Gerald Riggs vs. K. C., (26 att) 192 Erric Pegram vs. S.F., (27 att) 188 Jamal Anderson at StL., (31 att) 180 Erric Pegram at Cin., (37 att) 178 Warrick Dunn at N.Y.G., (25 att) 173 Michael Vick at Min., (10 att) 172 Jamal Anderson vs. StL., (22 att) 172 Gerald Riggs vs. Mia., (33 att) 167 William Andrews vs. N.O.,(30 att) 166 Michael Vick vs. N. O, (12 att) 162 Warrick Dunn at N. O, (23 att) 162 Jamal Anderson vs. StL., (20 att) 162 Steve Broussard vs. Was, (26 att) 161 William Andrews vs. Mia, (21 att) 161 Dave Hampton vs. L. A., (29 att) 158 Gerald Riggs vs. N. O, (39 att) 158 William Andrews vs. Buf, (28 att) 155 Warrick Dunn vs. NYJ, (24 att) 155 Mike Rozier vs. Dal., (21 att) 152 Michael Turner vs. TB, (32 att) 152 Jamal Anderson at Ari., (33 att) 150 William Andrews vs. Phi., (25 att) 150 William Andrews vs. Det., (32 att) 148 Maurice Smith vs. Dal., (27 att) 148 Jamal Anderson at N. O, (27 att) 147 Jamal Anderson at Det., (30 att) 146 Warrick Dunn vs. N.Y.G., (14 att) 145 Lynn Cain vs. LA Ram. (35 att) 142 Warrick Dunn at N. O, (23 att) 141 Michael Vick vs. Car., (14 att) 141 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Ram., (35 att) 139 Michael Turner at OAK, (30 att) 139 Gerald Riggs vs. Sea., (23 att) 136 Gerald Riggs vs. S.F., (28 att) 136 Gerald Riggs vs. Indian., (30 att) 135 Dave Hampton vs. StL., (23 att) 134 Warrick Dunn vs. T.B., (21 att) 134 Warrick Dunn vs. Car., (28 att) 134 Gerald Riggs vs. Wash., (27 att) 133 Gerald Riggs vs. S.F., (30 att) 132 Warrick Dunn at Car., (29 att) 132 Warrick Dunn at Sea., (25 att) 132 Warrick Dunn vs. Det., (30 att) 132 Jamal Anderson vs. N.O., (25 att) 131 Gerald Riggs vs. Det., (31 att) 131 William Andrews vs. S.D., (21 att) 129 Warrick Dunn at Pitt., (20 att) 129 Gerald Riggs vs. Phi., (27 att) 129 William Andrews vs. G. B., (20 att) 129 Haskel Stanback vs. N.O.,(22 att) 129 Gerald Riggs vs. T.B., (27 att) 128 Erric Pegram at LA Ram., (27 att) 127 Michael Vick vs. T.B., (14 att) 127 Gerald Riggs vs. Wash., (22 att) 127 Gerald Riggs vs. Dal., (24 att) 127 Jim Butler vs. S.F., (17 att) 126 Warrick Dunn vs. Min., (18 att) 126 William Andrews vs. S. F.,(28 att) 125 William Andrews vs. N.E., (25 att) 125 John Settle vs. Den., (25 att) 124 William Andrews vs. N. E., (19 att) 123 Jamal Anderson at S.F., (13 att) 123 Erric Pegram at N.O.,(34 att) 123 Gerald Riggs vs. LA Ram., (41 att) 123 Lynn Cain vs. Min., (24 att) 123 Woody Thompson vs. N.O., (24 att)
(9-7-08) (12-28-08) (9–2–84) (12–8–85) (9–19–93) (11–29–98) (12–26–93) (11–9–03) (12–1–02) (11–1–98) (11–30–88) (9–2–79) (11–26–06) (11–16–03) (11–2–97) (12–19–93) (12–10–83) (10–1–72) (12–22–85) (12–17–83) (10–24–05) (12–30–90) (12-14-08) (12–21–97) (10–2–83) (9–18–83) (11–11–01) (12–13–98) (12–20–98) (10–15–06) (10–7–84) (10–27–02) (12–7–03) (10–12–86) (11-2-08) (10–13–85) (9–30–84) (12–7–86) (9–21–75) (9–17–06) (12–18–04) (11–5–84) (12–2–84) (9–10–06) (1–2–04) (12–22–02) (10–18–98) ( 9–8–85) (12–2–79) (11–10–02) (11–10–85) (11–27–83) (12–18–77) (9–28–86) (11–14–93) (9–17–06) (11–3–85) (10–27–85) (10–4–70) (10–02–05) (9–25–83) (10–30–83) (10–16–88) (9–14–80) (9–27–98) (10–24–93) (11–17–85) (9–7–80) (11–20–77)
122 Jamal Anderson vs. Ind, (30 att) 121 Michael Turner at GB, (26 att) 121 William Andrews vs. Phil, (24 att) 120 Michael Turner at SD, (31 att) 120 Craig Heyward vs. N.Y.J., (19 att) 120 Gerald Riggs vs. Wash., (23 att) 120 Gerald Riggs vs. Hou., (25 att) 119 Jamal Anderson at Det., (25 att) 119 William Andrews vs. Ram., (21 att) 119 William Andrews vs. Ram., (21 att) 119 Gerald Riggs vs. Dal., (30 att) 117 Michael Turner vs. CAR, (24 att) 117 Warrick Dunn vs. Ari., (20 att) 117 Jamal Anderson vs. Car., (31 att) 117 Craig Heyward vs. StL., (20 att) 117 Junior Coffey vs. Clev., (17 att) 115 Michael Vick at Den., (12 att) 115 William Andrews vs. StL., (20 att) 115 William Andrews vs. Ram., (23 att) 115 Gerald Riggs vs. S.F., (19 att) 115 John Settle vs. Sea., (21 att) 115 Mike Rozier vs. T.B., (23 att) 114 Jim Butler vs. N.O.,(20 att) 113 Gerald Riggs vs. Hou., (21 att) 112 Gerald Riggs vs. Cin., (23 att) 112 Haskel Stanback vs. T.B., (23 att) 111 William Andrews vs. Ram., (20 att) 111 William Andrews vs. Wash., (24 att) 111 Gerald Riggs vs. StL., (29 att) 110 Jamal Anderson vs. N.Y.G., (29 att) 110 Gerald Riggs vs. Chi., (30 att) 109 Michael Vick vs. StL., (12 att) 109 Jamal Anderson vs. Car., (22 att) 109 Gerald Riggs vs. Dal., (25 att) 108 Jamal Anderson at Car., (14 att) 108 William Andrews vs. S.F., (24 att) 108 Gerald Riggs vs. StL., (29 att) 107 Jerious Norwood at Wash, (9 att) 107 Jamal Anderson vs. K.C., (28 att) 107 Sonny Collins vs. S.F., (31 att) 106 Jerious Norwood vs. Ari.,(6 att) 106 Dave Hampton vs. Den., (26 att) 105 William Andrews vs. S.F., (18 att) 104 Michael Turner vs. KC, (23 att) 104 Jamal Anderson at N.E., (32 att) 104 Michael Vick at N.Y.G., (15 att) 104 Bubba Bean vs. Ram., (17 att) 104 Cliff Austin vs. N.O.,(27 att) 104 Steve Broussard vs. S.F., (10 att) 104 Dave Hampton vs. N.O.,(19 att) 103 Warrick Dunn vs. Oak., (25 att) 103 Jamal Anderson vs. Mia., (18 att) 103 Jamal Anderson at Det., (16 att) 103 Art Malone vs. Ram., (18 att) 102 Byron Hanspard vs Ari., (26 att) 102 Craig Heyward at N.O.,(25 att) 102 Lynn Cain vs. Det., (21 att) 102 John Settle vs. N.O., (10 att) 102 Mike Rozier vs. Ram., (21 att) 101 Michael Vick vs. Ari., (11 att) 101 Warrick Dunn vs. Sea., (20 att) 101 William Andrews vs. Phi., (18 att) 101 William Andrews vs. Hou., (25 att) 101 Dave Hampton vs. N.O., (25 att) 101 Steve Broussard vs. S.D., (20 att) 100 Warrick Dunn at N.O., (22 att) 100 T. J. Duckett at Car., (14 att) 100 Jamal Anderson vs. S.F., (31 att) 100 Sonny Collins vs. Sea., (17 att) 100 William Andrews vs. S.F., (21 att)
(12–6–98) (10-5-08) (9–10–79) (11-30-08) (9–24–95) (9–20–87) (9–23–84) (11–12–00) (11–21–82) (10–11–81) (12–6–87) (11-23-08) (9–26–04) (10–4–98) (11–19–95) (10–30–66) (10–31–04) (11–9–80) (12–14–81) (9–18–88) (10–2–88) (12–2–90) (10–24–71) (10–25–87) (11–15–87) (9–24–78) (10–26–80) (11–30–80) (9–14–86) (10–11–98) (11–24–85) (9–19–04) (11–3–96) (9–21–86) (9–1–96) (12–19–82) (9–14–86) (12–3–06) (12–24–00) (11–14–76) (10–1–06) (11–23–75) (12–4–80) (9-21-08) (11–8–98) (11–21–04) (11–19–79) (9–7–86) (10–13–91) (9–16–73) (12–12–04) (12–27–98) (10–6–96) (10–1–72) (12–26–99) (9–17–95) (10–5–80) (9–11–88) (12–23–90) (10–1–06) (12–15–02) (12–7–80) (11–19–81) (10–5–75) (9–15–91) (10–16–05) (9–28–030 (11–15–98) (11–7–76) (9–28–80)
records / top performances 100 Warrick Dunn vs. S.F. (27 att) RECEIVING YARDAGE 198 Terance Mathis at N.O., (6 rec) 193 Andre Rison at Det., (14 rec) 193 Alfred Jackson vs. S.F., (11 rec) 190 Michael Haynes vs. Wash., (6 rec) 190 Ken Burrow vs. Det., (6 rec) 190 Ken Burrow vs. N.O., (8 rec) 187 Michael Haynes vs. N.O., (6 rec) 184 Terance Mathis vs. Ram., (10 rec) 182 Quentin McCord vs. Det., (7 rec) 182 Michael Haynes vs. N.O., (7 rec) 179 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.O., (5 rec) 177 Andre Rison vs. Chi., (10 rec) 173 Bert Emanuel vs. Ram., (9 rec) 172 Andre Rison vs. S.F., (9 rec) 169 Stacey Bailey vs. Dal., (4 rec) 168 Peerless Price vs. Minn, (12 rec) 166 Terance Mathis at Pitt., (12 rec) 164 Roddy White at NO, (10 rec) 164 Ken Burrow vs. S.F., (5 rec) 163 Terance Mathis at Den., (8 rec) 162 Tim Dwight vs. S.F., (7 rec) 161 Andre Rison vs. Ram., (5 rec) 159 Stacey Bailey vs. Wash., (9 rec) 158 Stacey Bailey vs. Ram., (7 rec) 155 Eric Metcalf at N.O., (11 rec) 154 Andre Rison vs. N.O., (10 rec) 153 Billy Johnson vs. N.O., (11 rec) 153 Wallace Francis vs. N.Y.G., (7 rec) 152 Alfred Jenkins vs. Wash., (7 rec) 148 Shawn Jefferson vs. S.F., (7 rec) 148 Wallace Francis vs. S.F., (4 rec) 148 Michael Haynes vs. Dal., ( 5 rec) 147 Andre Rison vs. T.B., (11 rec) 147 Alfred Jenkins vs. S.F., (7 rec) 146 Roddy White at StL., (10 rec) 146 Floyd Dixon vs. Phi., (8 rec) 144 Alex Hawkins vs. Phi., (9 rec) 143 Jim Mitchell vs. LA Ram., (4 rec) 141 Roddy White at Ari., (12 rec) 140 Tony Martin vs. Ind., (7 rec) 140 Stacey Bailey vs. Phi., (8 rec) 138 Wallace Francis vs. Den., (8 rec) 136 Bert Emanuel vs. Ari., (4 rec) 136 Billy Johnson vs. Raid., (6 rec) 136 Alfred Jenkins vs. Clev., (6 rec) 136 Alfred Jenkins vs. Mia., (4 rec) 134 Alfred Jenkins vs. S.F., (7 rec) 132 Roddy White at G.B., (8 rec) 132 William Andrews vs. StL., (8 rec) 131 Shawn Jefferson at Pitt., (9 rec) 131 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.O., (7 rec) 130 Terance Mathis at S.F., (7 rec) 129 Warrick Dunn vs. Ten., (9 rec) 129 Alfred Jenkins vs. Den., (5 rec) 128 Terance Mathis at S.F., (7 rec) 128 George Thomas vs. Min., (7 rec) 128 Andre Rison vs. S.F., (11 rec) 127 Roddy White vs. Car., (7 rec) 126 Shawn Collins vs. G.B., (5 rec) 125 Terance Mathis at N.O., (10 rec) 124 Terance Mathis vs. Phi., (10 rec) 124 Andre Rison vs. G.B., (8 rec) 123 Terance Mathis at Car., (4 rec) 123 Terance Mathis vs. K.C., (13 rec) 123 Andre Rison vs. Ram., (12 rec) 123 Alfred Jackson vs. Det., (5 rec) 122 Eric Metcalf at Cin., (9 rec) 122 Alfred Jenkins vs. Ram., (7 rec)
(11–4–07) (12–13–80) (9–4–94) (12–2–84) (12–17–89) (10–3–71) (12–19–71) (11–24–91) (11–19–95) (12–22–02) (9–12–93) (11–1–81) (9–27–92) (12–15–96) (10–14–90) (9–25–88) (10–5–03) (10–25–99) (12-7-08) (10–28–73) (11–20–94) (1–3–00) (10–21–90) (12–4–83) (10–7–84) (9–17–95) (10–7–90) (10–20–85) (10–1–78) (9–25–77) (9–3–00) (12–14–80) (12–22–91) (12–31–93) (12–14–75) (12–2–07) (10–5–86) (9–18–66) (9–26–71) (12–23–07) (12–6–98) (12–16–84) (9–16–79) (12–24–94) (12–1–85) (9–27–81) (9–21–80) (11–8–81) (10-5-08) (10–18–81) (11–10–02) (9–2–79) (9–27–98) (11–23–03) (9–16–79) (12–4–94) (9–8–91) (9–23–90) (9–23–07) (10–1–89) (9–13–94) (11–27–94) (12–1–91) (9–1–96) (9–18–94) (9–11–94) (9–18–83) (11–24–96) (11–5–72)
121 Bert Emanuel at T.B., (9 rec) 120 Andre Rison vs. Ram., (5 rec) 120 Wes Chesson vs. Ram., (7 rec) 120 Paul Flatley vs. Phi., (4 rec) 119 Roddy White vs. KC, (5 rec) 119 Charlie Brown vs. N.O., (7 rec) 118 Alge Crumpler vs. T.B., (4 rec) 118 Andre Rison at N.O., (8 rec) 117 Alge Crumpler vs. Pitt., (4 rec) 117 Terance Mathis at N.E., (8 rec) 117 Junior Miller vs. N.E., (8 rec) 116 Tony Martin vs. N.O., (7 rec) 116 Bert Emanuel vs. Min., (9 rec) 116 Billy Johnson vs. Det., (8 rec) 115 Aubrey Matthews vs. StL., (7 rec) 114 Brian Finneran at Min., (5 rec) 113 Roddy White at PHI, (8 rec) 113 Alfred Jackson vs. S.F., (4 rec) 113 Michael Haynes vs. T.B., (5 rec) 113 Paul Flatley vs. Ram., (6 rec) 112 Roddy White at SD, (6 rec) 112 Roddy White vs. CHI, (9 rec) 112 Charlie Brown vs. N.Y.J., (6 rec) 112 Michael Haynes vs. Ram., (6 rec) 111 Jim Mitchell vs. N.O., (7 rec) 110 Roddy White at N.O., (8 rec) 110 Billy Johnson vs. Den., (7 rec) 110 Paul Gibson vs. Ram., (5 rec) 110 Lynn Cain vs. Oak., (6 rec) 110 Charlie Brown vs. T.B., (7 rec) 110 Michael Haynes vs. Ram., (4 rec) 109 Shawn Jefferson at Oak., (7 rec) 109 Tony Martin at N.O., (8 rec) 109 Bert Emanuel at Ram., (4 rec) 109 Stacey Bailey vs. N.O., (7 rec) 109 Milton Barney vs. Ram., (6 rec) 109 Alfred Jackson vs. Pitt., (5 rec) 109 Jim Mitchell vs. Ram., (7 rec) 108 Roddy White vs. T.B., (4 rec) 108 Maurice Smith at Ari., (2 rec) 108 Bert Emanuel vs. StL., (6 rec) 108 Wallace Francis vs. Ram., (10 rec) 108 Arthur Cox vs. N.Y.J., (4 rec) 107 Terance Mathis at Car., (8 rec) 107 Andre Rison vs. S.F., (6 rec) 107 Drew Hill vs. Ram., (8 rec) 107 Billy Ryckman vs. Chi., (8 rec) 106 Andre Rison vs. Det., (6 rec) 106 Stacey Bailey vs. Phi., (7 rec) 106 Stacey Bailey vs. Ram., (6 rec) 106 William Andrews vs. Den., (3 rec) 106 Alfred Jenkins vs. Oak., (4 rec) 106 Alfred Jenkins vs. Den., (6 rec) 106 John Settle vs. S.D., (10 rec) 106 Eric Metcalf at T.B., (4 rec) 105 Tony Martin vs. Mia., (3 rec) 105 Floyd Dixon vs. Wash., (5 rec) 105 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.Y.G., (6 rec) 105 Harmon Wages vs. N.O., (3 rec) 105 Michael Haynes vs. Wash., (2 rec) 105 Mike Pritchard vs. Dal., (9 rec) 104 Roddy White vs. Ind., (6 rec) 104 Roddy White vs. Dal., (3 rec) 104 Alge Crumpler vs. Det., (4 rec) 104 Brian Finneran at Car., (5 rec) 104 Bert Emanuel at N.O., (6 rec) 104 Bert Emanuel vs. Det., (7 rec) 104 Billy Johnson vs. S.F., (6 rec) 103 Brian Finneran vs. N.E., (5 rec) 103 Alge Crumpler vs. N.O., (4 rec)
(10–22–95) (11–14–93) (11–5–72) (12–14–69) (9-21-08) (9–7–86) (11–14–04) (11–13–94) (10–22–06) (11–8–98) (9–14–80) (10–18–98) (9–8–96) (9–9–84) (11–29–87) (12–1–02) (10-21-08) (11–22–78) (12–13–92) (9–28–69) (11-30-08) (10-12-08) (11–9–86) (12–8–91) (9–16–73) (10–21–07) (9–22–85) (11–22–70) (10–24–79) (9–28–86) (10–27–91) (11–26–00) (12–13–98) (11–10–96) (10–9–83) (10–18–87) (11–15–81) (12–1–74) (11–20–05) (9–30–01) (11–2–97) (12–9–79) (11–9–86) (10–26–97) (12–11–93) (12–27–92) (11–19–78) (9–5–93) (10–2–83) (10–16–83) (12–5–82) (11–30–75) (11–23–75) (11–13–88) (10–22–95) (12–27–98) (9–20–87) (11–11–79) (12–7–69) (11–10–91) (12–21–92) (11–22–07) (12–16–06) (11–24–05) (11–24–02) (9–17–95) (11–5–95) (11–20–83) (10–9–05) (11–28–04)
records / individual performances 102 Roddy White vs. DEN, (5 rec) 102 Tim Dwight at Car., (5 rec) 102 Terance Mathis at Car., (8 rec) 102 Stacey Bailey vs. Min., (4 rec) 102 Alfred Jenkins vs. N.O., (4 rec) 102 Alfred Jenkins vs. Hou., (5 rec) 102 Alfred Jenkins vs. StL., (5 rec) 101 Terance Mathis at Dal., (5 rec) 101 Paul Flatley vs. Balt., (3 rec) 101 Alfred Jenkins vs. G.B., (6 rec) 101 Alfred Jenkins vs. StL., (4 rec) 101 Michael Haynes vs. Dal., (5 rec) 100 Trevor Gaylor vs. N.O., (3 rec) 100 Tony Martin vs. Chi., (6 rec) 100 Bert Emanuel at Buf., (6 rec) 100 Andre Rison vs. Clev., (6 rec) 100 Andre Rison vs. Mia., (7 rec)
(11-16-08) (11–28–99) (12–17–95) (9–16–84) (11–2–75) (11–28–76) (12–17–78) (10–20–96) (10–5–69) (12–12–76) (10–18–81) (12–21–92) (11–17–02) (11–22–98) (11–12–95) (12–16–90) (10–11–92)
PASSING YARDAGE 431 Chris Chandler vs. Buf., (28–of–40) 416 Steve Bartkowski vs. Pitt., (33–of–50) 386 Jeff George at N.O., (27–of–39) 378 Steve Bartkowski vs. StL., (31–of–47) 375 Steve Bartkowski vs. Raid., (36–of–54) 374 Wade Wilson vs. Ram., (31–of–47) 371 Steve Bartkowski vs. Hou., (18–of–25) 366 Steve Bartkowski vs. Det. (24–of–34) 366 Chris Miller vs. N.O.,(23–of–44) 364 Jeff George vs. Phi., (26–of–46) 363 Bobby Hebert vs. Ram., (28–of–49) 362 Jeff George vs. Det., (31–of–40) 361 J. Harrington vs. Car., (31-of-44) 352 Doug Johnson vs. Min., (28–of–40) 352 Chris Chandler at G.B., (29–of–50) 352 Jeff George vs. Ram., (20–of–34) 351 Chris Miller vs. Chi., (30–of–48) 350 Dave Archer vs. N.Y.J., (21–of–36) 345 Chris Chandler at N.O., (19–of–28) 340 Wade Wilson vs. Dal., (30–of–41) 340 Chris Miller vs. Ram., (28–of–39) 337 Michael Vick vs. Det., (20–of–38) 337 Chris Miller vs. S.F., (25–of–41) 335 Erik Kramer vs. Ram., (27–of–46) 334 Chris Miller vs. Det., (37–of–66) 332 Steve Bartkowski vs. Mia., (18–of–36) 328 Jeff George at N.O., (29–of–49) 326 Steve Bartkowski vs. Den., (20–of–29) 325 Chris Miller vs. Dal., (19–of–39) 324 Wade Wilson vs. T.B., (19–of–26) 317 Bobby Hebert vs. Hou., (30–of–52) 315 Matt Ryan at NO, (24 of 33) 315 Chris Chandler at Car., (24–of–42) 315 Chris Redman at Ari., (28-of-42) 315 Bobby Hebert vs. Dal., (24–of–32) 313 Steve Bartkowski vs. N.Y.J., (25–of–36) 312 Steve Bartkowski vs. N.O., (22–of–38) 311 Steve Bartkowski vs. N.Y.G., (24–of–28) 310 Jeff George at Car., (29–of–53) 310 Chris Miller vs. Wash., (17–of–35) 309 Bob Berry vs. Det., (13–of–23) 306 Michael Vick vs. T.B., (21–of–38) 306 Chris Chandler vs. S.F., (19–of–37) 305 Steve Bartkowski vs. S.F., (19–of–37) 304 Bobby Hebert at Cin., (23–of–40) 303 Mike Moroski vs. G.B., (22–of–35) 302 Bob Berry vs. G.B., (28–of–44) 301 Matt Ryan vs. Chi., (22 of 30) 301 Bob Berry vs. Ram., (15–of–22) 301 Steve Bartkowski vs. S.F., (28–of–39) 300 Chris Miller vs. Min., (27–of–41)
(12–23–01) (11–15–81) (9–17–95) (11–9–80) (9–19–82) (12–27–92) (11–29–81) (9–18–83) (10–7–90) (11–27–94) (12–15–96) (11–5–95) (9–23–07) (10–5–03) (11–18–01) (11–19–95) (9–27–92) (11–9–86) (12–13–98) (12–21–92) (10–8–89) (12–22–02) (9–23–90) (10–18–87) (12–24–89) (9–21–80) (11–13–94) (9–16–79) (12–22–91) (12–13–92) (12–5–93) (12-7-08) (11–28–99) (12–23–07) (11–21–93) (10–23–83) (9–2–79) (10–25–81) (12–17–95) (12–17–89) (10–3–71) (11–20–05) (1–3–00) (12–14–75) (11–24–96) (11–27–83) (9–27–70) (10-12-08) (9–26–71) (11–20–83) (9–8–91)
LONGEST PUNTS (65+ YARDS) 75 Harold Alexander vs. Chi. 75 John James vs. Oak. 72 John James vs. N. O. 71 Rick Donnelly vs. N.Y.J. 70 Billy Lothridge vs. Clev. 68 Rick Donnelly vs. Wash. 68 Rick Donnelly vs. Phi. 67 Michael Koenen at Sea. 67 John James vs. N. O. 65 Michael Koenen at Cin. 65 Rick Donnelly vs. Chi. 65 Scott Fulhage vs. N. E.
(10–3–93) (11–30–75) (9–16–73) (11–9–86) (10–27–68) (11–3–85) (10–5–86) (9–18–05) (10–31–76) (10–29–06) (11–16–86) (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. 58 Michael Koenen vs. N.E. 55 Jay Feely, at Ari. 55 Morten Andersen at N. O. 55 Morten Andersen vs. N. O. 54 Morten Andersen at Dal. 54 Morten Andersen vs. N. E. 54 Norm Johnson vs. Det. 54 Norm Johnson vs. N.Y.J. 54 Norm Johnson vs. N. E. 54 Paul McFadden vs. Buf. 53 Morten Andersen at N.Y.J. 53 Greg Davis vs. Phi. 52 Jay Feely, at G. B. 52 Jay Feely, vs. Buf. 52 Morten Andersen vs. S. F. 52 Norm Johnson vs. Mia. 52 Greg Davis vs. G. B. 52 Mick Luckhurst vs. Sea. 52 Mick Luckhurst vs. L. A. Ram 52 Nick Mike–Mayer vs. S. F. 51 Michael Koenen vs. Ari. 51 Morten Andersen at S. F. 51 Morten Andersen vs. Oak. 51 Morten Andersen vs. N. O. 51 Morten Andersen vs. Car. 51 Norm Johnson vs. Clev. 51 Norm Johnson vs. S. F. 51 Mick Luckhurst vs. Det. 51 Mick Luckhurst vs. Den. 51 Mick Luckhurst vs. Den. 50 Morten Andersen vs. N. O. 50 Morten Andersen vs. Chi. 50 Morten Andersen at Buf. 50 Norm Johnson vs. Phi. 50 Paul McFadden vs. Buf. 50 Mick Luckhurst vs. T. B. 50 Mick Luckhurst vs. Det. 50 Mick Luckhurst vs. Ram. 50 Tim Mazzetti vs. Buf. 50 Norm Johnson vs. N. O.
(12–24–95) (10–9–05) (9–30–01) (10–12–97) (12–10–95) (10–20–96) (10–1–95) (9–5–93) (9–6–92) (11–29–92) (11–5–89) (10–25–98) (11–18–90) (9–8–02) (12–23–01) (12–24–95) (10–11–92) (11–6–88) (10–13–85) (10–7–84) (10–28–73) (10–1–06) (11–19–00) (9–14–97) (12–10–95) (9–3–95) (11–28–93) (10–18–92) (9–9–84) (12–5–82) (12–5–82) (10–22–00) (11–22–98) (11–12–95) (11–27–94) (11–5–89) (9–13–87) (12–27–87) (10–7–84) (11–2–80) (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. 77t Tom McCauley vs. N. O. 75t Allen Rossum at K. C. 75t John Mallory vs. Min. 74 Darrien Gordon vs. Dal. 72 Allen Rossum vs. Phi.
(10–28–90) (10–25–70) (10–24–04) (12–20–70) (11–11–01) (11–2–03)
72t Gerald Tinker vs. N. O. 71t Billy Johnson vs. N.Y.J. 71 Billy Johnson vs. L. A. Ram. 70t Tim Dwight at Phi. 70t Tim Dwight vs. S. F. 68t Deion Sanders vs. L. A. Ram 67 Darrien Gordon at Ind. 66t Eric Metcalf at StL. Ram. 61t Harry Douglas vs. Car. 60 Dennis Pearson vs. Det. 60 Lew Barnes vs. Phi. 59t Allen Rossum vs. Ten. 58t Winslow Oliver vs. S. F. 57 Ray Brown vs. Phi. 57 Al Dodd vs. Chi. 56 Kenny Johnson vs. Chi. 51 Tony Smith vs. T. B.
(9–29–74) (10–23–83) (11–21–82) (10–1–00) (1–3–00) (9–10–89) (12–16–01) (10–12–95) (11-23-08) (9–23–79) (10–30–88) (11–23–03) (12–12–99) (11–11–73) (10–13–74) (9–23–80) (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. 100t Deion Sanders vs. S. F. 100t Dennis Pearson vs. StL. Cards 99t Byron Hanspard at S. D. 99t Deion Sanders vs. Wash. 99t Ron Smith vs. Balt. 97t Tony Smith vs. Pitt. 97t Sylvester Stamps vs. S. F. 96t Darrick Vaughn at StL. 96t Darrick Vaughn at StL. 94t Cliff Austin vs. N. O. 93t Tim Dwight vs. Car. 93t Byron Hanspard at Sea. 92 Jerious Norwood vs. StL. 91t Allen Rossum vs. Sea . 88t Darrick Vaughn at N. O. 85 Jerious Norwood vs. Chi. 82 Jim Butler vs. G. B. 80 Ron Smith vs. Chi. 76t Keith Jones vs. Dal. 76 Jerious Norwood at Ten. 74 Sylvester Stamps vs. Hou. 73t Deion Sanders vs. Buf. 72 Deion Sanders vs. N. O. 61 Adam Jennings vs. Sea.
(9–10–00) (10–13–91) (12–17–78) (12–7–97) (9–13–92) (9–17–67) (9–27–93) (12–20–87) (1–6–02) (10–15–00) (10–20–85) (10–4–98) (11–30–97) (12-28-08) (12–15–02) (12–17–00) (10-12-08) (11–22–71) (11–27–66) (12–30–90) (10–7–07) (10–25–87) (11–22–92) (10–29–89) (12–30–07)
