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Falcons' season in review
Feb. 12, 2008
Overview: It will take more than an offseason to recover from the devastation the Falcons suffered in 2007. The dogfighting charges against Michael Vick overshadowed the start to Atlanta’s season, and the team’s terrible showing on the field gave fans little to be optimistic about. First-year coach Bobby Petrino quit and went to Arkansas one day after Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison, and secondary coach Emmitt Thomas was named as the interim head coach. In January, owner Arthur Blank named Patriots director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff as the club’s new general manager, and soon thereafter the realigned front office chose Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith as its new head coach.
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Date
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Opponent
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Spread
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Result
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09/09/07
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at Minnesota
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+3
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3-24
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09/16/07
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at Jacksonville
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+10
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7-13
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09/23/07
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Carolina
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+4
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20-27
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09/30/07
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Houston
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+2.5
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26-16
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10/07/07
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at Tennessee
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+7½
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13-20
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10/15/07
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NY Giants
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+5
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10-31
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10/21/07
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at New Orleans
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+9
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16-22
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BYE WEEK
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11/04/07
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San Francisco
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-3
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20-16
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11/11/07
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at Carolina
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+3½
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20-13
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11/18/07
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Tampa Bay
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+3
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7-31
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11/22/07
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Indianapolis
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+12½
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13-31
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12/02/07
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at St. Louis
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+3
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16-28
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12/10/07
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New Orleans
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+4
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14-34
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12/16/07
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at Tampa Bay
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+12½
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3-37
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12/23/07
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at Arizona
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+11
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27-30 (OT)
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12/30/07
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Seattle
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+2
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44-41
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Team MVP: Only three teams scored fewer points than the Falcons this season, but at least one player on offense gave the unit a jolt. The breakout season of third-year WR Roddy White was mostly ignored nationally because of the squad’s poor play and off-field embarrassments, but he emerged as one of the NFC’s better receivers, despite catching passes from three average-at-best quarterbacks. White tied for third in the NFC in receiving yards – 1,202 – which was almost 300 yards more than he had in his first two seasons combined. He has removed the tag of “first-round bust” from his scouting report.
Biggest surprise: After three seasons out of the league, Chris Redman traded in his insurance salesman’s suit for a Falcons uniform and turned in the best performance by any quarterback on the team. He was invited to camp by Petrino, who coached him at Louisville, and he started the final four games of the year after replacing the inconsistent Joey Harrington. Redman had the most touchdown passes on the team (10) and made a strong case to be brought back next season in a backup role.
Biggest disappointment: There is no shortage of options for a winner in this category, but rookie DLE Jamaal Anderson narrowly gets the nod. The first-round draft pick out of Arkansas started every game in his debut season but was unable to get a single sack and finished tied for 12th on the team in tackles with 30. He failed to provide balance on Atlanta’s defensive line, while his counterpart, DRE John Abraham, reeled in 10 sacks. However, as the Texans’ Mario Williams proved this season, rookie defensive ends sometimes take time to adjust to the pro game before breaking out.
Offseason outlook: With a new front-office hierarchy in place, the Falcons will begin cleaning up the mess. Their first-round draft pick with be either No. 3, No. 4 or No. 5 depending on a coin flip that will take place at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Dimitroff will likely have his choice of selecting a potential franchise quarterback, a left tackle, or a running back, all of which are needs.
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