FALCONS REPORT: Season tickets for ‘09 pushed

Flowery Branch —- A day before Thanksgiving, some Falcons season-ticket holders received in the mail what the franchise called “The ‘09 Game Plan.”

For season-ticket holders, “to avoid forfeiture of seats, enroll in the payment plan or submit the amount due by Dec. 30, 2008.”

For two seats in section 336, the ticket cost is $500 with a handling fee of $4. To keep the seats, the season-ticket holder can choose to make six payments of $84 or pay half of the balance —- $252 —- by Dec. 30.

That’s the low end of the season-ticket spectrum. Tickets range from $250 in the upper end zone all the way to $1,300 for the prime rows, 1 through 15.

A sleek, 12-page glossy pamphlet titled “This is Falcon football” with promotional pictures and pitches was included.

In the past, the Falcons sought season-ticket renewals after a season was completed.

First-down maker

Running back Michael Turner is piling up the rushing yards with 1,088 and picking up first downs.

Turner ranks fifth in the NFC with 56 first downs, all of which have come on the ground. Turner has also converted 6-of-8 third down-and-1 rushing opportunities for first downs.

Turner trials Washington’s Clinton Portis (69), Dallas’ Marion Barber (65), Chicago’s Matt Forte (59) and Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson (57)

“He’s been unbelievable,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “To be able to turn around [and] hand the ball off to him with all that he’s capable of doing is huge.”

Ryan credits Turner and the run game with helping his development.

“He takes a lot of pressure off our passing game,” Ryan said.

White streaking

Wide receiver Roddy White is closing in on his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season. He’s 27 yards short of 1,000 and has 62 catches this season.

White has a chance to become the first Falcons receiver to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since 1998-99.

White is doing it at all levels. He’s getting open on deep, intermediate and short routes.

He caught a 30-yard pass last week against Carolina, his 11th reception of 20 yards or more this season.

Last season, White finished with 1,202 receiving yards, becoming the first Falcons receiver since Terance Mathis in 1999 to top the 1,000-yard receiving mark. White also established numerous career-highs in receptions (83), yards (1,202) and touchdowns (six) while posting five 100-yard games.

Starting fast

The Falcons have outscored the opposition 88-24 in the first quarter. They lead the league in first-quarter points. The New York Giants (78) and New York Jets (78) are second.