Falcons’ success this year begins with new O-C Koetter, D-C Nolan
Dirk Koetter and Mike Nolan brought a wealth of experience to Atlanta this past offseason, and it’s paying dividends heading into this weekend’s divisional round of the playoffs.
The right fit
Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter signs a contract extension to stay in Atlanta despite possible offers to take a head coaching job elsewhere in the NFL, which is wonderful news for Falcons QB Matt Ryan.
Tony Terrific
Falcons tight end and ageless wonder Tony Gonzalez said before the season this would probably be his last, but as Atlanta’s leading receiver at age 36, he may just want to rethink his future with one of the NFL’s rising franchises.
Silent assassin
Unlike some diva wideouts in the NFL, the Falcons’ Julio Jones prefers to keep a low profile — and let his play on the field do all the talking.
Good to be Kings
With the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed clinched following late Saturday’s win against the lowly Lions, the Falcons are the envy of the rest of the NFL now that they’ve secured home-field advantage through the playoffs.
Hawks thriving without Joe Johnson
The Atlanta Hawks are tied with the defending NBA champion Miami Heat for first place in the Southeast Division with a 14-6 record — and they’ve done it without ex-star Joe Johnson, who was traded away this offseason to the Brooklyn Nets.
Rodgers could soon become Falcons’ next feature back
Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers are currently the Falcons’ two-headed monster in the backfield, but soon it could be Rodgers taking over the bulk of the carries with Turner ailing.
Falcons on winning NFC South title: Yawn ...
Atlanta isn’t as happy as one might expect with clinching the NFC South title in early December — and that’s because it’s just one part of a bigger goal: a Super Bowl title.
Falcons: Third-down woes definitely a problem
The Falcons picked up just one first down in Thursday’s win against the Saints, and it’s an issue that’s concerning to both sides of the ball.
PREVIEW: Falcons, Cowboys headed in different directions going into SNF
Tonight’s Sunday Night Football matchup features a 7-0 Atlanta Falcons team that’s playing at a completely different level than its opponent, the 3-4, underachieving Dallas Cowboys.
Braves hang on for 5-4 victory against Nationals, close gap to 6 1/2 games in NL East
Jeff Baker scores the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to lift Atlanta past Washington to cut the Nationals' lead in the NL East to 6 1/2 games over the Braves.
Minor, Braves slam door on Rockies, 1-0
Mike Minor tosses six innings of no-hit ball and Craig Kembrel finishes off Colorado with his first four-out save as the Braves beat the Rockies, 1-0, on Wednesday night.
Game week finally here as Falcons prepare to face Chiefs in 2012 opener
The 2012 season opener for the Falcons is just four days away on the road at the Chiefs.
Falcons' first-team shines, but Atlanta loses to Bengals in second preseason game
The Bengals prevail, 24-19, on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome, but Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ offense put together several impressive drives in the first half of play before giving way to the backups in Atlanta’s second preseason game.
Falcons tight end Gonzalez leaning strongly toward retirement
Future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who became No. 2 in NFL history in career receptions last year with 1149, indicated Friday that this season will likely be his last.
Welcome back, Ben
Ben Sheets has an amazing comeback, throwing six shutout innings in his debut with the Braves in a 6-1 win against the Mets.
Knuckle down
R.A. Dickey and his nasty knuckleball had Atlanta behind on Saturday heading into the eighth inning, but that’s when the Braves scored three runs to come back and win their sixth straight game, 8-7.
FALCONS NOTEBOOK: Falcons rookie Konz turning heads in camp; Falcons owner helps lead team’s community service project
Wisconsin's Peter Konz has been the most impressive newcomer so far during the Falcons' annual rookie minicamp, while Atlanta owner Arthur Blank and the team’s front office lend a hand during a recent community service mission in Atlanta.
Hawks have no problem with lowly Bobcats
Josh Smith scores 24 points to lead the Hawks past Charlotte, 120-93, on Wednesday night.
Chipper feels good after taking batting practice
Braves veteran Chipper Jones recently had surgery on his left knee, but the third baseman was in the batter's box Tueday, saying he was "hitting to all fields and had no pain.''
Johnson wants improvement after sloppy spring practice
Georgia Tech lost 20 fumbles last season — tied for the most in the nation — and the same types of problems plague the offense during Saturday’s scrimmage.
Hawks edge Jazz in 4 OTs
Joe Johnson hits the game winner as the Hawks outlast the Jazz, 139-133, in four overtimes to win the longest NBA game since 1997.
UGA star WR Mitchell to also play on defense
The Bulldogs’ coaching staff sees nothing but upside to allowing star receiver Malcolm Mitchell the chance to play both offense and defense in 2012.
Georgia Tech stinks it up again, routed by Clemson in Atlanta, 56-37
Deerfield-Windsor grad Andre Young scores nine points to help Clemson rip Georgia Tech, which has its lowest offensive night in the series since 1936 in a 56-37 loss on Tuesday.
Hawks soar over Raptors
Josh Smith scores 25 points and grabs a career-high 15 rebounds to lead the Hawks to a 93-84 win against Toronto on Monday.
Koetter eager to help Falcons
Dirk Koetter, who was hired to lead Atlanta’s offense on Sunday, believes the Falcons have everything in place to be one of the top top offensive teams in the NFL.
Hawks boounce back, rip Bulls, 109-94
The Hawks, who were ripped by the Bulls earlier in the week, bounce back and snap Chicago's six-game winning streak with a 109-94 win on Saturday in Atlanta.
Game faces on
Reinvigorated Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan doesn’t even want to talk about his playoff record because he says what happened in the past doesn’t mean a thing heading into Sunday’s NFC wild card showdown with the New York Giants.
Falcons must regroup
Falcons coach Mike Smith shows his disappointment in Monday’s 45-16 loss on Tuesday in practice, and vows to find answers to cure the team’s breakdowns.
Falcons secondary hopes to limit Brees’ damage
Saints quarterback Drew Brees is passing the ball at a record pace this season, but Atlanta’s secondary likes its chances Monday night in a game that the Falcons need to win to keep their division title hopes alive.
Falcons' confidence at all-time high after latest win
The Falcons’ confidence is soaring right now after winning for the fourth time in five games Thursday night against the Jaguars to set up a huge Monday Night Football showdown in eight days with their NFC South rivals, the New Orleans Saints, with major playoff implications on the line.
Falcons look to turn the corner
With the injury to star cornerback Brent Grimes, the Falcons call on Dominique Franks and Chris Owens to raise their games this week.
Dunta facing dilemma with Falcons
Atlanta's high-priced CB Dunta Robinson hasn't produced the kind of results he's been paid for, but the Falcons say he's doing exactly what they signed him for.
Falcons rookie WR Jones becoming reliable target
After a career-high 11 catches and 127 yards against the Seahawks last week, Falcons rookie WR Julio Jones seems to finally be finding his groove in Atlanta's offense.
Washington leading undefeated Ga. Tech
Yellow Jacket quarterback Tevin Washington is giving his team another offensive weapon in the passing game alongside the triple-option attack that leads the country in rushing.
Hudson, Braves beat Mets, 1-0, to take 4 1/2 game lead over the Cardinals in the wild card race.
Tim Hudson tweaks his delivery and shuts down the Mets, striking out 10 and allowing just four hits as the Braves edge New York, 1-0, to take a 4 1/2 game lead over the Cardinals, who lose to Philadelphia, in the wild card race.
Braves stay hot, Gonzalez, Prado lead Atlanta to 4-1 win against Marlins
Alex Gonzalez hits his second three-run homer in as many games, and the Braves win their second in a row, beating the Marlins, 4-1, on Wednesday.
Falcons looking for answers after dismal debut
The Falcons go back to the drawing board and try to find some answers Monday, a day after getting ripped by the Chicago Bears, 30-12, to open the 2011 NFL season.
Yellow Jackets work to fix bad snap exchanges, other silly mistakes
Between bad center-to-QB exchanges, fumblitis and special teams mistakes, correcting errors this week in practice is all Georgia Tech will be focusing on before Saturday's road game against Middle Tennessee State.
Prado, Constanza help Braves edge Dodgers, 4-3, set up huge series with Phillies today
Martin Prado delivers in the ninth inning with a game-winning single to complete a comeback from a 3-0 hole the Dodgers and give Atlanta a big 4-3 win on a day when NL East top dog Philadelphia loses -- setting up a showdown between the two teams that begins today.
Washington, Sims eager to shine at Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets kick off their season tonight with a revamped backfield featuring Tevin Washington and David Sims.
Falcons' Smith fosters success with respect
The Falcons' elder statesmen, whom head coach Mike Smith calls his "Over-30 Club," could be the key to the team's success this season as they try to get over the playoff hump and back to the Super Bowl.
All eyes on Isaiah: Crowell emerging as No. 1 RB for Bulldogs
It's only been two weeks, but whispers around Georgia Bulldogs practice is that fab freshman Isaiah Crowell is as good as advertised, and could be UGA's No. 1 running back come fall.
Falcons LB Peterson OK with being Atlanta's backup plan
Mike Peterson, the Falcons' shutdown linebacker, says he's just fine with taking on a backup role this year if it will help Atlanta get over its playoff hump and back to the Super Bowl.
Jones-ing for some action
Falcons rookie receiver Julio Jones heads into his first preseason game of the year tonight against the Dolphins in a contest both teams will be using to work out the kinks and see where they're at with only two weeks of practice under their belts. (ADDS: breakout of Mediacom, DirecTV channels carrying the Falcons' preseason game)
Georgia Tech set for spring game today
Weather forces the time of the Yellow Jackets' preseason football game to be moved from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 a.m. today -- but that's the least of the team's worries after a sloppy spring.
