The Falcons 2011 season ended with a humbling loss to the New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs. The only Atlanta points in the game came on a second quarter safety.

The Falcons turned the ball over 3 times, gave up a slew of 20+ yard plays and committed numerous mistakes uncharacteristic of the team that has played such a disciplined and fundamental-focused brand of football under Head Coach Mike Smith.

QB Matt Ryan threw a career-high four touchdown passes, two to Tony Gonzalez, as the Falcons came back from a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter to down the Eagles, 35-31.

After a first half as sloppy as the rain-soaked Raymond James Stadium turf, the Falcons defense kept Atlanta in the game while Ryan & company erupted for 10 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to pull within 3 points of the Bucs. But the comeback effort fell short as the Falcons dropped their first divisional contest of the 2011 season.

The Falcons jumped out to a 27-7 halftime lead behind two Michael Turner rushing TDs and a Gonzalez TD catch. But the Seahawks stormed back in the second half, pulling within 2-points in the game's final minutes. It wasn't until Seattle PK Steven Hauschka missed a 61-yard last second FG that the narrow 30-28 win was certain.

The Falcons were hitting on all cylinders in the NBC Sunday Night Football spotlight, jumping out to a 14-0 lead against the undefeated World Champion Packers. But the Falcons didn't find the scoreboard again after their early second quarter touchdown, getting shut out for the final 42 minutes while the visitors tallied 25 unanswered points.

The Falcons took control of a back-and-forth affair in the fourth quarter Sunday, buffeted by Michael Turner's 139 yard, two touchdown day and three interceptions of Panthers QB Cam Newton.

The Falcons defense tamed the vaunted Lions offense, holding them to just 88 first half yards and allowing Matt Ryan (2 TDs), Michael Turner (122 yards rushing) and Tony Gonzalez (5 catches for 62 yards) to find their rhythm early in the 23-16 road win over Detroit.

The Falcons set the tone early, as rookie wideout Julio Jones turned his first two catches into highlight-reel touchdowns of 50 and 80 yards. Atlanta never looked back in a 31-7 rout of the winless Colts, the club's third straight victory.

Trailing by 10 with 3:35 remaining, Atlanta staged a furious rally to tie the game on the final play of regulation. But a failed first down conversion in overtime on 4th & inches from the Falcons own 29-yard line cemented the Saints' 26-23 road win.

A trio of Pro Bowlers helped stake the Falcons to a 20-3 lead early in the third quarter, and Atlanta weathered a furious second-half comeback attempt to defeat the Titans, 23-17, raising their record to 6-4 on the season.

Christopher Owens ran down Vikings speedster Percy Harvin to avoid a score on a 104-yard fourth-quarter kickoff return, and Sean Weatherspoon stuffed Toby Gerhart on 4th-and-goal from the one to cement the Falcons win.

A litany of The Falcons offense struggled mightily in the first half, but the stingy defense kept the Falcons in striking distance. In the end, two penalties that negated touchdowns and a litany of mistakes spelled doom for Atlanta.

The Falcons overcame a 16-point deficit by overwhelming the division-rival Panthers in the second half with 24 unanswered points to stun Cam Newton and the Panthers to raise their record to 8-5 on the season.

The Falcons offense exploded in the first half, ripping off 27 unanswered points in a dominating 41-14 rout of the Jaguars. The win improved the Falcons to 9-5, ensuring Coach Smith's fourth straight winning season as head coach.

The Falcons relinquished the NFC South crown to the Saints on the same night Drew Brees broke Dan Marino's long-standing NFL single season passing record with his 307-yard, 4 TD performance.

The Falcons exploded out of the gate with a club-record 42 first-half points and coasted to a 45-24 rout of the reeling Bucs. The victory locked up the #5 seed in the playoffs for Atlanta.