GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Falcons wrote the final chapter in a storybook season Saturday afternoon, losing 30-24 to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs.
Atlanta (11-5, 0-1) rebounded from a disastrous 2007 to grab second place in the NFC South and the No. 5 slot in the NFC Playoffs in 2008 but the clock struck midnight after a series of blunders, turnovers and bizarre plays at University of Phoenix Stadium.
But, as they did all season, the Birds refused to give up without a fight.
The defense gave up touchdown passes of 42 and 71 yards in the first half as the team fell behind 14-3 in the second quarter. But the unit settled in to allow just four first-half first downs and give the offense a chance at the field.
A Jason Elam field goal got the Falcons on the board with 7:31 remaining in the second quarter to start a Falcons rally. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan began the game 1-of-4 with an interception but rebounded to pilot a 14-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a Michael Turner touchdown run. Ryan completed 17 of his next 21 pass attempts after the shaky start.
The offense held the ball for more than 21 minutes in the first half and successfully flipped the momentum put in play by the Cardinals offense.
Cornerback Chevis Jackson picked off quarterback Kurt Warner on the next series, giving the ball back to the Falcons in Cardinals territory with 2:03 to play. Ryan completed three passes on the ensuing possession, the last a 2-yard throw to tight end Justin Peelle in the back of the end zone.
The Falcons took a 17-14 halftime lead off that play and stood ready to take the ball to open the third quarter. But a bizarre play sent the Birds back on their heels for nearly the rest of the game.
A muffed handoff on the second play of the third quarter was recovered by Cardinals defensive back Antrel Rolle and returned 27 yards for a touchdown. The play started a rough second half for the Falcons, who wouldn't find the end zone again until late in the game.
A penalty-laden stretch on the next possession forced the Birds to punt from their own end zone for the second time in the game. The teams swapped punts on the next two drives but the Cardinals pieced together a 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 second interception of the game, this one to fellow rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. It was the third, and final, turnover of the day.
"I'm proud of the way these guys fought today," Head Coach Mike Smith said. "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 well and hard and they showed their resiliency there."
Arizona defenders swarmed around Ryan the entire afternoon and added a fourth-quarter safety for their efforts. The Falcons did not get a sack on Warner the entire day, allowing the Pro Bowler to survey the field and find nine receivers for 271 yards.
“I thought they played physical up front," said Ryan, who was sacked three times. "I thought their guys did a good job up front, they played tough. Their linebackers scraped and made some plays. Credit to them, they played a very good game defensively.”
Ryan and wide receiver Roddy White, who set a franchise postseason record with 11 catches for 84 yards, hooked up for a touchdown with 4:19 to play but the Cardinals offense picked up first downs to wash away Atlanta's final timeouts.
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 carries but was held to just three carries -- zero yards -- in the final two periods.
Warner took a knee on the final three snaps as Cardinal fans celebrated 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 high.
Ryan was named Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. Turner rushed for a record 17 touchdowns, 1,699 yards and finished second in league MVP voting. White set a new single-season record for 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.
"I think you have to remember what we did as a team this year and we did some things well," Ryan said. "We made some strides as a team as the year went on and got better. But you have to use this as motivation. We don’t want to be here, losing in the first round of the playoffs, in the future. What we want to do is continue to advance in the playoffs and give ourselves a chance to win. I think everybody will use it as motivation for next season.”
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-CARDINALS GAME:
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more in the NFL.com Game Center
- GAME BLOG: Review updates from the press box in the playoff game blog
- GAME NOTES: Track some of the milestones from the playoff game
- GAME STORY: Playoff loss in Arizona ends Falcon season
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete Falcons-Cardinals game coverage from AF.com
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: More news and comment from the AF.com Managing Editor
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Matt Ryan
- NFL NETWORK: Game Highlights | Matt Ryan Highlights | Michael Turner Highlights
- TRANSCRIPTS: Head Coach Mike Smith | Falcons | Cardinals
- INACTIVES: Inactives and starters from the Falcons-Cardinals game
- FORUMS: Talk about the game with other fans on FalconsLIFE
- PHOTOS: Images from the Falcons playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium
