page_title: 2008 Atlanta Falcons season
section_title: Week 5: at Green Bay Packers
hierarchical_section_title: 2008 Atlanta Falcons season / Regular season / Game summaries / Week 5: at Green Bay Packers
caption_attribution_description: English: Ryan Grant takes a handoff from Aaron Rodgers
context_page_description: The 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League. Overcoming a disappointing 4–12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding phase, completed the regular season with a surprising 11–5 record and earned the #5 seed in the NFC playoffs under first-year head coach Mike Smith; however, the team fell to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
  Mike Smith was named 2008 NFL Coach of the Year, and quarterback Matt Ryan earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
context_section_description: Hoping to rebound from their divisional road loss to the Panthers, to Falcons flew to Lambeau Field for a Week 5 duel with the Green Bay Packers. Entering Week 5, the Falcons led the league in first quarter scoring with 38 points. Atlanta added to that total with 10 points on a touchdown and field goal. The Falcons have also outscored their opponents in the first quarter by a 48–14 margin.
  Michael Turner posted his third 100-yard game of the season after finishing with 26 carries for 121 yards and one touchdown. Turner score came at the 3:35 mark in the fourth quarter to give Atlanta a two-possession lead (27–17) which sealed the victory.
  In the first quarter, Atlanta took flight as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 1-yard TD pass to TE Justin Peelle, along with kicker Jason Elam getting a 42-yard field goal.  In the second quarter, the Packers responded with quarterback Aaron Rodgers completing a 44-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver.  The Falcons closed out the half with Ryan completing a 22-yard TD pass to WR Roddy Whiteto give the Falcons a 17–7 advantage. The catch was his sixth of the day giving White 115 yards in the first half at that point. White contributed with 67 first quarter receiving yards, falling three yards short of his career-high in the first 15 minutes of play (70), which he set on September 21, 2008, against Kansas City. White also finished the first half with 132 yards, which is the most in two quarters of play for the four-year veteran in his career and the second highest total since Terance Mathis posted 136 on November 19, 1995.
  On Atlanta first play of the game, Quarterback Matt Ryan completed a 37-yard pass to White crossing into Packers territory. Ryan completed two more receptions to White on the drive for a total of 64 yards, the three completions led to an Atlanta touchdown, which marked the second occasion this season the Falcons scored on their first drive of the game (Week 1 vs. Detroit) and the first time they scored on their first possession of the game on the road, Ryan started the game having completed six of six passes for 72 yards and one touchdown pass, also compiled the best half of football in his rookie career thus far when he completed 13 of 18 passes for 154 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 135.0 passer rating. Ryan finished the game with a season-high 194 passing yards.  The Falcons posted a touchdown on their first offensive possession of the game when Ryan led the team 81 yards on 10 plays and completed a one-yard touchdown strike to tight end Justin Peelle, his first as an Atlanta Falcon and the eighth of his career. Center Ben Wilkerson saw his first action of the season at the center position when he briefly replaced Todd McClure on Atlanta first offensive drive of the game. Wilkerson was at center when the Falcons scored their first touchdown in the first quarter.  Defensive tackle Grady Jackson logged his first sack of the season and the 34.5th of his career when he dropped Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Green Bay first offensive play of the game, the sack led to a Green Bay punt. Following the first quarter of play the Falcons recorded eight first downs opposed to the Packers who finished the opening 15 minutes of play with zero. Atlanta also racked-up 147 net yards to Green Bay's 10 in the quarter.
  At the 6:02 mark in the second quarter, Ryan tallied his second touchdown pass of the day when he found White in the end zone for a 22-yard strike to give the Falcons a 17–7 advantage. The catch was his sixth of the day giving White 115 yards in the first half at that point. White pieced together his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and the ninth of his career after catching eight passes for 132 yards and one touchdown. Following the two-minute mark in the second quarter, defensive end John Abraham notched his seventh sack of the season, dropping Rodgers. The sack was the ninth in his last six games, the 17th in his last 20 contests and the 74.5th of his career. The sack forced a Packers field goal attempt and following an offensive
caption: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hands off to Ryan Grant in Atlanta's week 5 encounter at Lambeau Field
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