Falcons remain in thick of playoff chase

Dec 1, 2008 - 4:43 PM By Bob Birge PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

Even in the unpredictable world of the NFL where a team's fortunes can change dramatically on a yearly basis, the success of the Atlanta Falcons this season is remarkable.

This is a team that began the season with a first-year coach, a rookie quarterback and was still reeling from the criminal activity of its former franchise quarterback, Michael Vick.

Yet as the calendar turns to December, the 8-4 Falcons remain very much in the playoff mix - something that seemed impossible in September.

"Our team has been growing every week," safety Lawyer Milloy said following Sunday's 22-16 victory in San Diego. "We showed our progression. It's been a steady progression even through some of our losses. We are a team that is getting stronger as the season goes on."

The impressive thing about Sunday is that the Falcons didn't even play that well - yet they still came away with a win by overcoming three turnovers, all fumbles.

Matt Ryan had an unspectacular day, passing for only 207 yards, but he threw two touchdowns and continues to avoid mistakes.

In the last five weeks, the rookie out of Boston College has thrown only one interception, and Atlanta sports a 4-1 record in those games.

"He's a confident guy and he makes the throws," Atlanta receiver Roddy White said. "He can make every throw in this league. That's a big part of it. He's great at reading defenses and getting the ball to the right people."

Sunday's victory left Atlanta tied with Dallas (8-4) for the NFC's second wild card spot - one game behind NFC South co-leaders Carolina (9-3) and Tampa Bay (9-3).

The Falcons face a challenging schedule over the next three weeks, starting with a contest at New Orleans against Drew Brees and the league's top offense.

Atlanta then has a pair of games against division leaders - home for Tampa Bay and at Minnesota - before hosting St. Louis in its season finale.

The Falcons hope to get help from Pittsburgh, which hosts Dallas next week. They also know either Carolina or Tampa Bay will get a fourth loss since they face each other next Monday.

Regardless of how things turn out, the Falcons already have doubled their win total from last season (4-12) and assured themselves of no worse than a .500 finish.

Atlanta has bought into the player-friendly approach of coach Mike Smith, a welcome change following the brief and rocky tenure of Bobby Petrino, who never seemed at home in the NFL and bailed on the Falcons after 13 games last season to take the job at Arkansas.

Despite his inexperience, Ryan has gained the confidence of his teammates while developing a chemistry with White, who is on pace to break Alfred Jenkins' franchise mark of 1,358 receiving yards in a season.

While Ryan continues to impress with the poise of a veteran, his offensive line has made it easier for him by providing a wall of protection that has resulted in only one sack in the last four games. The Falcons gave up 47 last season.

Then, there's the emergence of running back Michael Turner, who ranks third in the NFL in rushing with 1,208 yards, trailing only Adrian Peterson and Clinton Portis.

Turner already has more than doubled his previous best total in four seasons in San Diego, where he was an understudy for LaDainian Tomlinson.

"We're certainly in a good position and we've got an opportunity (for the postseason), so we're excited about that," Ryan said.

The Falcons should be - especially considering where they were just 12 months ago.