2008 Atlanta Falcons season 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 would fall 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 . 2008 NFL Draft . On February 22 , prior the start of the NFL Combine , the Falcons won a coin toss that gave them the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft in a gathering with the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs to break a three - way - tie . Each team finished 2007 with a 4 - 12 record . Some experts said that the Falcons should have used this selection to pick LSU Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey , but the Falcons used their 1st round pick to draft Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan . The Falcons also traded two of their second - round picks ( No . 34 and No . 48 ) and a fourth round pick ( No . 103 ) with Washington Redskins to move to No . 21 overall and select USC tackle Sam Baker . 2008 offseason . January February March April May June July August 2008 schedule . Minicamp . The Falcons opened the first mini camp of 2008 on Monday , April 14 . The team had multiple " mini camp " sessions under new Head Coach Mike Smith before the start of training camp in late July . The team worked for three days before the NFL Draft and came back to Flowery Branch for another workout May 10 – 12 . During the minicamp , the Falcons signed tender offers to punter Michael Koenen and defensive end Chauncey Davis . Training camp . For the fourth consecutive year , the Falcons held Russell Falcons Training Camp at the team ’ s Flowery Branch headquarters . Atlanta ’ s 43rd training camp was held from July 25 - August 15 , with select morning and afternoon practices open to the public . The Falcons held 30 practices , which included 13 two - a - day sessions . Atlanta traveled to Jacksonville on August 9 for its first preseason contest followed by two home preseason games against Indianapolis the day after training camp breaks ( August 16 ) and Tennessee Titans on August 22 . The Falcons concluded the 2008 preseason schedule with a meeting against the Baltimore Ravens on August 28 at M & T Bank Stadium . In 2007 , Russell Athletic and the Atlanta Falcons announced an agreement that includes title sponsorship of the team ’ s three - week preseason training camp at its in - season training facility in Flowery Branch , Ga . The four - year agreement designates Russell Athletic as an official sponsor of the Falcons . Emmitt Thomas Inducted to the Hall Of Fame . Falcons ' Assistant Head Coach Emmitt Thomas was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 2 during Super Bowl festivities in Phoenix . He was formally inducted into the Hall on August 2 . Thomas was selected as a finalist for enshrinement by the Seniors Committee . He was selected to the Hall ' s Class of 2008 off a list of 17 players . He thus becomes the first Falcons player or coach to be placed in the Hall of Fame . Final cuts . On August 30 , the Falcons made 22 roster moves to reach the NFL ' s 53 - player limit . Regular season results . Week 1 : vs . Detroit Lions . The Falcons began their 2008 campaign at home against the Detroit Lions . In the first quarter , Atlanta immediately took flight at rookie QB Matt Ryan throws his first career NFL pass to WR Michael Jenkins for a 62 - yard TD pass . Afterwards , RB Michael Turner ( acquired from the Chargers ) made an immediate impact as he got a 66 - yard TD run and a 5 - yard TD run . In the second quarter , the Lions would respond with RB Kevin Smith getting a 5 - yard TD run , while QB Jon Kitna completed a 21 - yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams . In the third quarter , the Falcons went back to work as kicker Jason Elam got a 50 - yard field goal , while RB Jerious Norwood got a 10 - yard TD run . Detroit would try to rally as Kitna completed a 1 - yard TD pass to TE Casey FitzSimmons . Fortunately , Atlanta closed out their rout in the fourth quarter with Elam nailing a 25 - yard field goal . With the impressive win , the Falcons began their season at 1 - 0 . QB Matt Ryan would have a good rookie debut completing 9 of 13 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown . RB Michael Turner had an outstanding Falcon debut , setting a single - game franchise record with 220 rushing yards . Ryan , who became the first rookie to start a season for the Falcons since Steve Bartkowski in 1975 , finished with a solid 161 passing yards and 137 . 0 quarterback rating . Turner led a ground game that picked up a franchise - record 318 rushing yards 7 . 6 yards per carry . Game Notes . The Lions would eventually finish the season 0 - 16 Week 2 : at Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Following their outstanding home win over the Lions , the Falcons flew to Raymond James Stadium for a Week 2 NFC South duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . In the first quarter , Atlanta trailed as Bucs QB Brian Griese completed a 5 - yard TD pass to TE John Gilmore . In the second quarter , the Falcons continued to trail as former Falcons RB Warrick Dunn gave Tampa Bay a 17 - yard TD run , along with kicker Matt Bryant getting a 33 - yard field goal . Atlanta would close out the half with kicker Jason Elam getting a 32 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the Falcons crept closer as Elam kicked a 27 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Atlanta tried to rally as Elam nailed a 24 - yard field goal . However , the Buccaneers pulled away as RB Earnest Graham got a 68 - yard TD run . With the loss , the Falcons fell to 1 - 1 . With Michael Turner running for a franchise - record 220 yards in his Falcons debut , Ryan only threw the ball 13 times against Detroit . Sunday , he had more attempts than that in the first half alone . The Bucs limited Turner to 42 yards on 14 carries . WR Joey Galloway , who did not play in the preseason because of a sore groin , sprained an ankle in the fourth quarter . Falcons rookie LT Sam Baker was hit in the head in the first half and did not return . A week after beating Detroit in his pro debut , Matt Ryan threw incompletions on his first nine passes before settling down to keep Atlanta in the game with three field goal drives that trimmed a 17 - point deficit to eight with five minutes to go . Week 3 : vs . Kansas City Chiefs . Michael Turner ran for three touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons scored the first 24 points to beat Kansas City 38 - 14 , giving the Chiefs their 12th straight loss . Turner had scoring runs of 4 , 1 and 2 yards , his first career game with three rushing touchdowns , while leading the Falcons with 104 yards rushing . Jerious Norwood added 75 yards rushing . Turner dragged Chiefs linebacker Pat Thomas for a few steps before breaking free and running through other defenders for a 38 - yard run from the Falcons 8 . A 30 - yard pass from Ryan to Norwood helped set up Turner first touchdown run . Turner 1 - yard scoring run in the second quarter gave Atlanta a 24 - 0 lead . Turner determined run helped to soften the Kansas City defense . Ryan found Roddy White for a 70 - yard touchdown pass on Atlanta ' s next possession , and the Falcons were on their way to a big early lead , ( Ryan 70 - yard touchdown pass to White is the longest pass completion for the Falcons since 12 / 23 / 07 when wide receiver Laurent Robinson caught a 74 - yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Redman against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 16 meeting ) . On Kansas City first offensive possession of the game , defensive end John Abraham logged his fifth sack of the season , which led to a Chiefs punt . Abraham tallied his second sack of the game at the end of the third quarter , which included a forced fumble . The two sacks gave Abraham eight in his last four games , 16 in his last 18 games and 73 . 5 for his career . Entering the Kansas City game , he led the NFL with four sacks after three games , the forced fumble was the 29th of his career , which ranks fourth in the NFL from 2000 - 2008 . Turner sparked an Atlanta scoring drive when he posted a 38 - yard rush in the first quarter , he capped the drive with a four - yard touchdown , his third of the season . The Falcons drove 92 yards in six plays and also received help from running back Jerious Norwood on the drive who contributed with 45 combined yards ( two rushes for 15 yards and one 30 - yard reception ) . Atlanta 92 - yard scoring drive , the first of the game , is the longest scoring drive since 12 / 3 / 06 at Washington when the Falcons drove 98 yards on six plays capped by a Norwood touchdown run . Kicker Jason Elam was successful on his long field goal attempt of 27 yards against Kansas City , improving his streak of consecutive field goals to 27 . Elam also added five extra points for an eight - point day . Tyler Thigpen , the third starting quarterback in three weeks for Kansas City , threw three interceptions in his first career start . The third interception , by cornerback Chris Houston , was returned 10 yards for a touchdown with 1 : 01 left in the game . Chiefs coach Herman Edwards said during the week he would turn to veteran Damon Huard if Thigpen struggled . Thigpen played the full game and was 14 - for - 36 passing for 128 yards with one touchdown . Down 24 - 0 , Thigpen led a 13 - play scoring drive capped by his 15 - yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe with three seconds left in the first half . The Chiefs ' 12th straight loss came 11 months to the day after their last win . They lost their last nine games in 2007 after a 12 - 10 win at Oakland on Oct . 21 , 2007 . The Chiefs comeback continued when Larry Johnson ' s 48 - yard run set up his 1 - yard scoring plunge to open the second half , cutting Atlanta lead to 24 - 14 . It was Johnson first rushing touchdown of the season . Johnson , who had 96 yards rushing in his first two games , had 24 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown . Johnson has 4 , 981 yards rushing for his career to pass Christian Okoye ( 4 , 897 ) for second place on the Chiefs all - time list . The Falcons had a quick answer to Johnson touchdown . Ryan , making his third start , had a 15 - yard run and a 17 - yard pass to White to set up Turner third touchdown , a 2 - yard run . The Chiefs were forced to punt on their first five possessions . Their next two drives ended with interceptions by Erik Coleman and Brent Grimes , Coleman intercepted his first career pass in a Falcons uniform , which also gave him the eighth of his career , it was Coleman first interception since 11 / 12 / 06 against the New England Patriots . Coleman pieced together a stellar performance against the Chiefs which included 10 tackles to lead the team and one forced fumble , and Grimes intercepted his first career pass when he stepped in front of a Tyler Thigpen pass in the second quarter . Grimes returned the interception 25 yards , which led to a Falcons touchdown . The Falcons defense allowed only 14 rushing yards in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs , continuing their trend of holding opponents to under 15 rushing yards over the first three contests of the season . Against Tampa Bay in Week 2 , Atlanta held the Bucs to two rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes of play , which was the lowest total in the first quarter of a game since for a Falcons opponent since 12 / 14 / 03 ( vs . Colts , two rushing yards ) . Below is a look at Atlanta opponent rushing totals in the first quarter of each game this season . The Falcons moved to 2 - 0 at the Georgia Dome on the season and gave Head Coach Mike Smith his second career win as a head coach . Michael Turner became only the fifth Falcons running back in team history to register three or more touchdowns in a game , with the win over the Chiefs improved its record to 5 - 1 in its last six meetings against AFC West opponents . Week 4 : at Carolina Panthers . Coming off their home win over the Chiefs , the Falcons flew to Bank of America Stadium for a Week 4 NFC South duel with the Carolina Panthers . The Falcons found a way to stick around for three quarters in Sunday game at Bank of America Stadium but injuries , dropped passes and untimely penalties filled the afternoon . Atlanta lost starting strong safety Lawyer Milloy in the first half after he took a shot to the ribs and played the entire game without starting left tackle Sam Baker . In the first quarter , Atlanta trailed early as Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart getting an 8 - yard TD run . The Falcons responded with kicker Jason Elam getting a 33 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Falcons crept closer as Elam kicked a 44 - yard field goal . However , Carolina answered with QB Jake Delhomme completing a 56 - yard TD pass to WR Steve Smith . Atlanta closed out the half with Elam getting a 44 - yard field goal . The Panthers ( 3 - 1 , 1 - 0 ) lost starting offensive tackles Jordan Gross and Jeff Otah in the game to injury and also went several series without starting cornerback Ken Lucas . But that didn ' t stop the NFC South leaders from imposing their will on both sides of the ball and put up more than 400 yards of total offense . For the fourth consecutive game this season , the Falcons defense held their opponent to 16 rushing yards or less in the first quarter of play after the Panthers managed only 16 yards on six carries . John Abraham blocked his first career punt in the second quarter , which led to Elam second field goal of the day . The blocked punt was the first for Atlanta since the 2004 season finale when Demorrio Williams blocked Seattle first kick of the game at Qwest Field . Running back Jerious Norwood posted his second longest rush of the season with a 40 - yard scamper in the second quarter . The rush was four yards shy of his season high ( 44 ) , which he set against Kansas City in Week 3 . Norwood has now posted five rushes of 40 yards or more in this three - year career , punter Michael Koenen booted his longest punt of the season with a 60 - yard kick in the second quarter . The punt is the longest for Koenen since December 16 , 2007 when he nailed a 63 - yard punt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , running back Jason Snelling earned his first career start while tight end Justin Peelle started his first game in a Falcons uniform . Brian Finneran caught his first pass of the 2008 campaign on a five - yard reception in the second quarter . The catch was the first for Finneran since the 2005 season finale when he caught four passes for 45 yards against the Carolina Panthers . Roddy White led the Falcons in receiving with seven catches for 90 yards . He continues to remain on pace for a 1 , 000 - yard season . In his fourth career start , rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed passes to eight different receivers , a season - high for the Boston College graduate , Ryan finished the game having completed 21 of 41 passes for 158 yards and a 60 . 8 passer rating In the third quarter , the Panthers increased their lead with kicker John Kasay nailing a 44 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Carolina sealed the win with Delhomme completing a 36 - yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad . The first - year head coach Mike Smith made a concise list in explaining the problems that plagued his offense in Charlotte . With the loss , the Falcons fell to 2 - 2 . Week 5 : at Green Bay Packers . 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 QB 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 QB 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 White 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 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 is the ninth in his last six games , the 17th in his last 20 contests and the 74 . 5th of his career . The sack forced a Packers field goal attempt and following an offensive holding call on a converted attempt , Green Bay missed a re - kick . In the third quarter , Green Bay answered with kicker Mason Crosby getting a 50 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , the Packers tied the game with Rodgers completing a 25 - yard TD pass to WR Greg Jennings , Michael Boley intercepted his first pass of the season and the fifth of his career when he stepped in from of an Aaron Rodgers pass late in the fourth quarter . The INT led to the game - sealing touchdown by Turner , yet Atlanta replied with Elam nailing a 41 - yard field goal and RB Michael Turner getting a 2 - yard TD run . Fullback Ovie Mughelli carried the ball nine yards on his first rush of the season in the fourth quarter . Following a Packers touchdown to tie the game at 17 , running back / kick returner Jerious Norwood returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards into Green Bay territory , marking the second - longest kickoff return of his career , Norwood return set up a Falcons game - sealing touchdown . Green Bay tried to rally as Rodgers completed a 4 - yard TD pass to TE Donald Lee , yet the Falcons ' defense stiffened for the win . With the win , Atlanta improved to 3 - 2 . Week 6 : vs . Chicago Bears . Coming off their road win over the Packers , the Falcons went home for a Week 6 duel with the Chicago Bears . In the first quarter , Atlanta took flight as kicker Jason Elam got a 29 - yard and a 48 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Falcons increased their lead as Elam kicked a 32 - yard field goal . The Bears would respond with kicker Robbie Gould getting a 36 - yard field goal . Entering Sunday game with the Bears , the Falcons led the NFL in first quarter scoring with 48 points . After posting two field goals for a 6 - 0 lead following the first 15 minutes of play against Chicago , Atlanta has now outscored its opponent in the first quarter by a 54 - 14 margin . A chance at a touchdown came with 9 : 16 remaining in the first half after a curious turn of events near the goal line . A third - down run by Jerious Norwood came up short and ended with a fumble . Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris recovered but lost the ball before he was touched down . Jason Snelling recovered the ball for the Falcons , who got a fresh set of downs . Following the first half of play , the Falcons defense held the Bears to 20 first half rushing yards . The 20 yards are the fewest given up in the first half of a game by Atlanta ’ s defense since October 1 , 2006 against Arizona ( two yards ) . In the third quarter , the Falcons continued to add on to their lead as Elam got a 41 - yard field goal , yet Chicago answered with RB Matt Forté getting a 3 - yard TD run . In the fourth quarter , Atlanta replied with rookie QB Matt Ryan completing a 3 - yard TD pass to WR Roddy White . Defensive end Jamaal Anderson paced a defense that fed off the crowd ' s energy . He finished with four tackles ( two for loss ) and the first sack of his two - year career . Anderson also had two pass deflections on the Bears ' first drive of the second quarter . The Falcons offense started the second half with a no - huddle offense and added another Elam field goal to take a 12 - 3 lead . Chicago stuck with the running game and added a touchdown from Forte with 2 : 24 remaining in the third quarter . Chicago drove within inches of the end zone , but Matt Forte was stuffed on fourth down as he attempted to leap across the line . Michael Boley came in low to trip up the runner , then Lawyer Milloy and Keith Brooking finished him off . The Bears took the lead with Gould getting a 32 - yard field goal , along with QB Kyle Orton completing a 17 - yard TD pass to WR Rashied Davis . Fortunately , the Falcons got the last laugh as Elam nailed the game - winning 48 - yard field goal . The 16 - year veteran ' s celebration was interrupted by a swarm of teammates near midfield . It was his fifth successful kick of the day but just moments before he missed a kick that could have iced the game . Chicago came off the miscue with a 77 - yard touchdown drive to take a 20 - 19 lead with 11 seconds to play . But a 9 - yard return off a short kickoff by Harry Douglas and a 26 - yard strike from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to Michael Jenkins set Elam up for the game - winner with 1 second left . " I ' m really happy that one went through , " Elam said . " Our guys have been fighting so hard for so long . I hate to even mention what happened last year but to hear some of the stories I know the guys are really hungry to get some wins on the board and show our fans what we ' re all about . " With time to throw Ryan thrived . The rookie found five different receivers and performed regular Houdini - like acts to find open players down the field for third - down conversions . Fellow rookie Douglas caught five passes for 96 yards including a 47 - yard strike on third down that set up a 3 - yard scoring toss to White with 13 : 25 remaining . Ryan opened the game 8 - of - 8 for 107 yards and captained nearly identical scoring drives in the first quarter , leading the team on 48 - and 49 - yard marches that ended with field goals . “ I think everybody is excited with the win , " Ryan said . " I thought we played a very good Chicago Bears team today . They played an entire 60 minutes and we did the same thing . We just had the last punch . We were able to make a couple big plays at the end of the game with Elam clutch kick being the biggest one . This win is a great story heading into the bye week . ” Bears CB Nathan Vasher ( wrist ) missed his second straight game , and the other starting corner , Charles Tillman , went out in the first half with a shoulder injury . Backup FS Danieal Manning left , too , with an injured hamstring . , White went over 100 yards receiving for the second week in a row , Forte led the Bears with 76 yards rushing . With the win , Atlanta entered their bye week at 4 - 2 . Not only did Matt Ryan ( 22 / 30 for 301 yards and a touchdown ) pick up his first - ever 300 - yard day , but he acquired the best record for a rookie quarterback in his first six games as a starter since 1998 ( 4 - 2 ) , besting Kyle Orton in ' 05 and Kyle Boller in ' 03 ( both with 3 - 3 ) . Week 8 : at Philadelphia Eagles . Coming off their bye week , the Falcons flew to Lincoln Financial Field for a Week 8 duel with the Philadelphia Eagles , as rookie QB Matt Ryan ( a native of the Philly suburb of Exton , Pennsylvania ) took on his hometown team . Ryan threw for 277 yards in his seventh career start but also had a pair of interceptions . The defense held the Eagles after the first turnover but Ryan ' s second mistake came in the end zone , eliminating a red - zone scoring chance . After a scoreless first quarter , Atlanta finally took flight in the second quarter as Ryan completed a 55 - yard TD pass to WR Roddy White with 8 : 56 remaining in the first half when he threaded a pass between two Eagles defenders . White scampered toward the end zone for a 55 - yard score and a 7 - 0 lead . “ We had worked on that fade pass all week in practice and Matt threw it up there and really I should have batted the ball down , " said White , who had 113 receiving yards . " I think on that play , I had the responsibility to help him out . We thought we were going to put some points on the board and we let it get away from us . I put that play on myself , because I really should have knocked that down . ” White tallied his third consecutive 100 - yard game after catching eight passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns . White has now posted four 100 - yard games this season and 11 for his career , the 55 - yard strike is the third longest pass for the rookie quarterback this season . The second score came on an eight - yard pass in the fourth quarter , Ryan returned to the sight of first collegiate touchdown pass at Lincoln Financial Field against the Temple Owls on November 20 , 2004 . But Philadelphia responded with 20 unanswered points , including scoring drives of 60 , 70 and 69 yards . Twice McNabb scrambled for key first downs . The Falcons did not record a sack in the second half . The Falcons run game sputtered and suffered from untimely penalties . Starting left tackle Sam Baker missed the game with a hip injury and was replaced by Todd Weiner . Weiner would leave with an injury and was replaced by Quinn Ojinnaka . Michael Turner rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries . The Eagles took the lead with QB Donovan McNabb getting a 3 - yard TD run , along with kicker David Akers getting a 36 - yard field goal . McNabb turned from prolific passer to game - manager as the afternoon progressed , finding openings in the Falcons zone defense for short to medium gains and handing the ball off to Westbrook , the All - Pro rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries in the first half and finished with 22 carries for 167 yards . He also had six catches for 42 yards , one of six Eagles receivers with two or more catches . The Falcons spent much of the first half keeping McNabb and the Eagles high - flying offense on the ground . Atlanta didn ' t allow a first - quarter point for the fifth time this season and picked up two sacks , a forced fumble and a turnover in the first 30 minutes In the third quarter , the Falcons continued to trail as RB Brian Westbrook got a 16 - yard TD run . In the fourth quarter , Philadelphia increased its lead with Akers nailing an 18 - yard field goal . Brian Finneran tied his season - high in receptions ( three ) and contributed with two catches on third down to convert a new set a downs for the Falcons on both occasions in the first half . Jerious Norwood posted his second - highest receiving total when he caught five passes for 55 yards , he set his career - high of 57 yards against the Saints last season Atlanta tried to rally as Ryan hooked up with White again on an 8 - yard TD pass , but the Eagles flew away as Westbrook got a 39 - yard TD run . A late goal - line stand held the Eagles to a field goal and kept it a two - possession game with 7 : 57 remaining . Ryan led a no - huddle offense into the red zone on the next series and found White with a second touchdown with less than four minutes to play . Trailing 20 - 14 , the Falcons defense stepped up with a key three - and - out but an odd turn of events kept the Birds offense from getting a shot at the win . Return man Adam Jennings decided at the last second not to field the punt after the Eagles ' three - and - out drive . Officials ruled Jennings touched the ball and the muffed punt was recovered by the Eagles . The Falcons did not have a timeout left and , by rule , could not challenge the play . Replays in the press box showed Jennings did not touch the ball . Three plays later Westbrook rushed over the left side for a 39 - yard , game - clinching touchdown . Defensive end Jamaal Anderson posted his second sack of the season when he dropped Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for a six - yard loss in the first quarter , the sack stalled an Eagles drive , forcing a punt . Anderson has now totaled one sack in two consecutive games . Rookie Curtis Lofton earned his first career sack when he dropped McNabb for an eight - yard loss in the second quarter while forcing a fumble . The ball was recovered by defensive end Chauncey Davis . " It never felt like we were out of the game , even when we didn ’ t get that touchdown when we needed it , it still felt like we stopped them to get a chance to put some more points on the board and that ’ s what we did , " defensive end John Abraham said . " Like I said , it ’ s part of the game and everybody played well , it was a tough fought game . I think everybody got a lot of bumps and bruises from the game , but it definitely was a good game . ” With the loss , the Falcons fell to 4 - 3 . Week 9 : at Oakland Raiders . Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Eagles , the Falcons flew to the Oakland - Alameda County Coliseum for a Week 9 interconference duel with the Oakland Raiders . In the first quarter , Atlanta took flight as rookie QB Matt Ryan completed a 37 - yard TD pass to WR Michael Jenkins , while RB Jerious Norwood got a 12 - yard TD run . In the second quarter , the Falcons added onto their lead with Ryan hooking up with Jenkins again on a 27 - yard TD pass , along with kicker Jason Elam nailing a 48 - yard field goal . From there on out , Atlanta cruised towards its easy win , as they greatly outgained the Raiders in time of possession ( 45 : 15 to 14 : 45 ) and total offensive yards ( 453 to 77 ) . With the easy win , the Falcons improved to 5 - 3 . Week 10 : vs . New Orleans Saints . Coming off their shutout road win over the Raiders , the Falcons went home for a Week 10 NFC South duel with the New Orleans Saints . In the first quarter , Atlanta took flight as rookie QB Matt Ryan completed a 16 - yard TD pass to WR Roddy White . The Saints would respond with kicker Garrett Hartley getting a 24 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Falcons increased their lead as RB Michael Turner got a 2 - yard TD run . New Orleans would answer with Hartley making a 44 - yard field goal . Atlanta would close out the half as kicker Jason Elam got a 22 - yard field goal . In the third quarter , the Falcons got the period ' s only points as Elam nailed a 27 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Atlanta continued to soar as Ryan completed a 67 - yard TD pass to RB Jerious Norwood . The Saints tried to rally as QB Drew Brees completed a 15 - yard TD pass to RB Deuce McAllister , yet the Falcons flew away as rookie CB Chevis Jackson returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown . New Orleans would close out the game with Brees completing a 32 - yard TD pass to WR Lance Moore . With the win , Atlanta improved to 6 - 3 . Week 11 : vs . Denver Broncos . Coming off their win over the Saints , the Falcons stayed at home for a Week 11 interconference duel with the Denver Broncos . In the first quarter , Atlanta trailed early as Broncos FB Peyton Hillis got a 7 - yard TD run . The Falcons would answer with kicker Jason Elam ( a former Bronco ) getting a 46 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , Atlanta took the lead as Elam made a 36 - yard field goal , while RB Michael Turner got a 9 - yard TD run . In the third quarter , Denver retook the lead as Hillis got a 2 - yard TD run . In the fourth quarter , the Broncos increased their lead as kicker Matt Prater nailed a 20 - yard field goal . The Falcons tried to rally as Turner got a 28 - yard field goal , yet Denver replied with QB Jay Cutler competing a 9 - yard TD pass to TE Daniel Graham . From there on out , the Broncos ' defense stopped any other possible comeback attempt . With their first home loss of the year , Atlanta fell to 6 - 4 . This was the first of only two home losses suffered by Matt Ryan in the NFL through 12 / 27 / 2010 . The second was to the New Orleans Saints on December 27 , 2010 , the final Monday Night Football game of the 2010 season . Week 12 : vs . Carolina Panthers . Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Broncos , the Falcons stayed at home , donned their alternate uniforms , and played a Week 12 NFC South rematch with the Carolina Panthers . In the first quarter , Atlanta took flight as kicker Jason Elam got a 23 - yard field goal , while rookie WR Harry Douglas got a 7 - yard TD run . In the second quarter , the Falcons increased their lead as RB Michael Turner got a 1 - yard TD run . The Panthers closed out the half as kicker John Kasay got a 23 - yard field goal . On his third carry of the game , Turner rushed for a six - yard gain and eclipsed the 1 , 000 - yard rushing plateau this season . He became the first Falcons running back to reach 1 , 000 yards in a campaign since 2006 when Warrick Dunn had 1 , 140 and the 20th running back in franchise history to reach 1 , 000 yards in a season . Turner ' s career day continued after he tied a team record with four rushing touchdowns of T . J . Duckett posted on December 12 , 2004 . It was also the second career three - score game and the fourth multiple - touchdown game of his career . Turner first found the end zone on a one - yard rush in the second quarter , scored for the second occasion on a four - yard run in the fourth quarter , logged his third TD on a one - yard run with 7 : 13 remaining and tallied his last on a 16 - yard scamper in the fourth quarter to seal a Falcons 45 – 28 victory . With four scores , Turner became the third player in Falcons history to post 13 or more rushing touchdowns in a season . Turner finished the game with 24 carries for 117 yards and four touchdowns , which marked his eighth career 100 - yard game . He currently has rushed for 1 , 088 yards this season and is on a pace for 1 , 583 yards , which would rank third in a season in Falcons annals ; following the first half of play , Turner tallied 12 carries for 56 yards . This season , when the fifth - year running back rushes for 50 yards or more in the first half , the Falcons are 5 – 0 . Matt Ryan and the offense faced a quick third down on the next possession , but the quarterback found rookie wide receiver Harry Douglas on a 69 - yard pass play to the Panthers 6 . Four plays later Turner got his key , fourth - down touchdown . The Panthers faced an energized defense and a raucous crowd on the next possession . Chauncey Davis recorded his second sack of the day and back - to - back false start penalties backed Carolina into the shadow of its own goal line . The Panthers punted from the end zone , giving Douglas a chance for a big return . The rookie brought the kick back up the middle 61 yards for a touchdown . Delhomme found Muhsin Muhammad for a touchdown on the next series but the Falcons had already done plenty of damage . Still , Turner found the end zone for a final time with just 54 seconds to play . Eric Weems caught his first career pass in the first quarter for a four - yard gain . The reception led to a Falcons touchdown . Douglas scored his first two career touchdowns ; he first found the end zone on a seven - yard end around in the first quarter to give the Falcons a 10 – 0 lead ; Douglas then became the 10th player in Falcons history to return a punt for a touchdown and the first since 2004 when Allen Rossum returned a kick 61 yards in the fourth quarter . Douglas ' s return was the longest in his career , topping the previous mark of 33 yards against New Orleans in Week 10 ; along with a 61 - yard punt return , Douglas totaled career - highs in offensive touches with six ( two rushing , four receiving and all purpose yards 188 , which included 3 rushing , 92 receiving and 93 yards on punt returns ) , he also became the Falcons ' third rookie this season to account for a touchdown ; along with Douglas ' s run and punt return , quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown 11 touchdown passes and cornerback Chevis Jackson returned an interception 95 yards for a score against New Orleans in Week 10 , Douglas posted a career - long reception with a 69 - yard catch in the fourth quarter . He finished the game with 92 receiving yards , which led the team and fell four yards short of his career high ( 96 yards vs . Chicago , October 12 ) . Roddy White caught Ryan first pass of the game for a 30 - yard gain , marking the 11th reception of 20 - plus yards , White finished the game with four receptions for 70 yards and is 27 yards shy of a 1 , 000 - yard season . Atlanta outscored Carolina in the first quarter by a 10 - 0 margin , marking the seventh time this season a Falcons opponent was held scoreless in the opening 15 minutes of play . Atlanta has now outscored its opponents in the first quarter by a 88 - 24 mark and led the NFL in first quarter scoring entering Sunday ' s game . Following the first quarter of play , the Falcons offense posted 162 net yards of offense compared to zero by the Panthers . Brian Finneran caught one pass for nine yards on a third down in the second quarter , giving the Falcons a new set of downs . In his career , the nine - year veteran has caught 127 of 187 receptions that have gone for a first down or touchdown ( 67 . 9 percent ) . John Abraham logged his 12th sack of the season and stalled a Carolina two - minute drive at the end of the second quarter ; the sack is the 14th in his last 12 games , his 22nd in his last 26 contests and has now recorded 79 . 5 for his career . In his tenure with the Falcons , Abraham has posted 26 sacks in 34 games played . Abraham ’ s 12 sacks through 11 games this season already ranks tied for the fifth most in a single season in Falcons history . Atlanta defense held Carolina to three - consecutive three and outs to start the game while allowing only eight net yards ; entering Sunday ’ s game , the Falcons ranked fourth in the NFC and eighth in the NFL in opponent three and out drives . Jason Snelling caught a 27 - yard pass in the first quarter and broke a tackle to take the ball into Carolina territory , the reception is a career - long for the second - year running back , topping his old mark of 18 yards , which he set earlier in the season at Philadelphia . In the third quarter , Carolina began to claw their way back into the game as RB DeAngelo Williams got a 5 - yard TD run , while Kasay nailed a 21 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , Atlanta answered with Turner getting a 4 - yard TD run . The Panthers would reply with QB Jake Delhomme getting a 12 - yard TD run ( along with Williams ' 2 - point conversion run ) , yet the Falcons struck right back with Turner getting a 1 - yard TD run , while Douglas returned a punt 61 - yard field goal . Carolina tried to rally as Delhomme completed a 16 - yard TD pass to WR Muhsin Muhammad , yet Atlanta flew away as Turner got a 16 - yard TD run . “ It was great to get off to a good start and score 17 points , " said Ryan , who managed the game with 259 passing yards on a 94 . 5 passer rating . " For the most part , we were able to maintain our ebb and flow on the offensive side of the ball . Our defense stepped up and did a heck of a job keeping Carolina from making big plays . I didn ’ t think we would score 45 points , but I ’ ll take that any day . ” With the win , the Falcons improved to 7 – 4 . Week 13 : at San Diego Chargers . Coming off their divisional home win over the Panthers , the Falcons flew to Qualcomm Stadium for a Week 13 interconference duel with the San Diego Chargers . In the first quarter , Atlanta took off as kicker Jason Elam got a 35 - yard field goal . The Chargers responded with RB LaDainian Tomlinson getting a 3 - yard TD run , yet the Falcons stayed close with Elam getting a 40 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , Atlanta regained the lead as rookie QB Matt Ryan completed an 18 - yard TD pass to TE Justin Peelle , along with their defense forcing opposing QB Philip Rivers to commit intentional grounding from his own endzone , giving Atlanta a safety . In the third quarter , San Diego answered with safety Eric Weddle returning a fumble 86 yards for a touchdown ( with a failed two - point conversion ) . In the fourth quarter , the Falcons replied with Ryan completing a 5 - yard TD pass to rookie WR Harry Douglas . The Chargers tried to come back , as kicker Nate Kaeding nailed a 28 - yard field goal . Atlanta ' s defense stiffened for the victory . With the win , the Falcons improved to 8 – 4 . Week 14 : at New Orleans Saints . Coming off their west coast win over the Chargers , the Falcons flew to the Louisiana Superdome for a Week 14 NFC South rematch with the New Orleans Saints . Atlanta trailed fairly early in the first quarter as Saints QB Drew Brees completed a 5 - yard touchdown pass to RB Reggie Bush . In the second quarter , the Falcons continued to trail as kicker Garrett Hartley got a 26 - yard field goal . Atlanta would respond RB Michael Turner getting a 5 - yard TD run , yet Hartley gave New Orleans a 46 - yard field goal . The Falcons struck back with rookie QB Matt Ryan completing a 2 - yard TD pass to WR Brian Finneran , but the Saints closed out the half with Hartley ' s 25 - yard field goal . Atlanta would get the third quarter ' s only points as kicker Jason Elam nailed a 23 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , New Orleans tried to pull away as Brees completed a 7 - yard touchdown pass to RB Pierre Thomas , yet their 2 - point conversion attempt failed . The Falcons would then take the lead as Ryan got a 12 - yard touchdown run , followed by a 2 - point pass to wide receiver Michael Jenkins . However , the Saints got the last laugh as Thomas got a 5 - yard TD run . With the loss , Atlanta fell to 8 - 5 . Week 15 : vs . Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Michael Turner rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown , and Jason Elam kicked the winning 34 - yard field goad at 10 : 56 of overtime to give the Falcons ( 9 - 5 - 0 ) a much - needed division victory . The Falcons overcame two Matt Ryan interceptions and some sloppy play . The victory over the Buccaneers ( 9 - 5 - 0 ) kept them in the hunt for a playoff spot , and guaranteed the Falcons first winning season since 2004 . Also with the win , the Falcons managed to knock the Saints out of playoff contention . Turner ' s touchdown was his 15th for the Falcons this season , breaking the record of 14 set in 1998 by Jamal Anderson . Week 16 : at Minnesota Vikings . Coming off their divisional home win over the Buccaneers , the Falcons flew to the Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 16 battle with the Minnesota Vikings . Atlanta would get an early first quarter lead with running back Michael Turner getting a 1 - yard touchdown run . The Vikings would respond with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson completing a 21 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe . In the second quarter , the Falcons would regain the lead as rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completed an 8 - yard touchdown pass to running back Jerious Norwood , followed by kicker Jason Elam getting a 22 - yard field goal . Atlanta would add onto their lead in the third quarter as Ryan tried to run into the endzone for a touchdown , fumbled the ball into the endzone , and offensive guard Justin Blalock would recover it in the endzone for a touchdown . In the fourth quarter , Minnesota tried to comeback as kicker Ryan Longwell nailed a 29 - yard field goal , along with Jackson hooking up with Shiancoe again on a 17 - yard touchdown pass . Fortunately , the Falcon defense would stiffen for the win . With the win , not only did Atlanta improve to 10 - 5 , but they also clinched a playoff berth for the first since 2004 . Week 17 : vs . St . Louis Rams . With the playoffs on the horizon , the Falcons closed out the regular season at home in a Week 17 duel with the St . Louis Rams . Atlanta took off in the first quarter with kicker Jason Elam making a 39 - yard field goal , but the Rams would respond with running back Steven Jackson getting a 4 - yard touchdown run . The Falcons would answer in the second quarter with a 9 - yard touchdown run from running back Michael Turner . St . Louis would answer with quarterback Marc Bulger completing a 16 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Donnie Avery , yet Atlanta would take the halftime lead with running back Jerious Norwood ' s 8 - yard touchdown run . In the third quarter , the Falcons would add onto their lead with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan completing an 18 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White . The Rams would close out the period with kicker Josh Brown making a 31 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , St . Louis would get the lead again as Jackson got a 2 - yard touchdown run , followed by Brown nailing a 27 - yard field goal . Fortunately , Atlanta would get the lead for good as Norwood got a 45 - yard touchdown run . With the win , the Falcons closed out the regular season at 11 - 5 and due to Carolina ' s victory over New Orleans , earned the NFC ' s # 5 seed . Postseason results . NFC Wild Card Round : at Arizona Cardinals . Entering the playoffs as the NFC ' s fifth seed , the Falcons began their playoff run at the University of Phoenix Stadium against the # 4 Arizona Cardinals . Atlanta would trail early in the first quarter as Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner completed a 42 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald . The Falcons would respond in the second quarter as kicker Jason Elam got a 30 - yard field goal , but Arizona answered with Warner completing a 71 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Anquan Boldin . Afterwards , Atlanta would end take a halftime lead as running back Michael Turner got a 7 - yard touchdown run , followed by rookie quarterback Matt Ryan ' s 2 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Justin Peelle . In the third quarter , the Cardinals retook the lead as safety Antrel Rolle returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown , followed by running back Tim Hightower ' s 4 - yard touchdown run . The Falcons ' postseason run was fading in the fourth quarter as Ryan was sacked in his endzone by defensive end Antonio Smith for a safety . Afterwards , Atlanta tried to rally as Ryan completed a 5 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White , but Arizona ' s offense ran out the clock for the win . With the loss , the Falcons ' season ended with an overall record of 11 - 6 . 2009 Pro Bowl selections . Michael Turner and Roddy White were named to the 2009 Pro Bowl NFC squad as reserves . It will be his first trip to Hawaii . White and Turner are the 112th and 113th Pro Bowl selections in team history , they are the second Falcons RB and WR duo to be voted to the Pro Bowl in the same year ( first since 1980 ) . White is the fourth Falcons wide receiver to earn Pro Bowl accolades and the first since Terrance Mathis in 1995 . Turner is the eighth different Falcons runningback to earn Pro Bowl honors . Matt Ryan finished second amongst rookies in fan Pro Bowl voting , Ryan ( 416 , 468 votes ) was the top rookie quarterback in the category but ranks behind Titans running back Chris Johnson ( 534 , 170 votes ) .