FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons defensive end John Abraham plans to pick up the pace down the stretch.His numbers are down dramatically and he knows that he'll need a bushel of sacks to match last season's 16 1/2 team-record total. With six games to play, Abraham has only 3 1/2 sacks.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons running back Michael Turner, who has received continuing treatment for his right high ankle sprain, returned to practice Wednesday.“Michael was limited today and took some reps,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Hopefully, we’ll get a good read on him after practice and tomorrow.

FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons running back Michael Turner, who has been receiving continued treatment for his right high ankle sprain, returned to practice on Wednesday."Michael was limited today and took some reps," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "Hopefully, we'll get a good read on him after practice and tomorrow.

Flowery Branch –  Falcons kicker Jason Elam was not stunned that the team gave tryouts to four kickers."To be honest with you, I thought they were going to do that a couple of weeks ago," Elam said on Wednesday before the team took the field for practice.

With veteran kicker Jason Elam mired in a slump, the Falcons brought in four kickers for tryouts Tuesday.Former Georgia standout Brandon Coutu, Steve Hauschka, Sam Swank and Shane Andrus all worked out, but none was extended a contract offer.The Falcons consider the tryouts a personnel matter and declined comment about them.

With veteran kicker Jason Elam mired in a slump, the Falcons brought in four kickers for tryouts on Tuesday.Former Georgia standout Brandon Coutu, Steve Hauschka, Sam Swank and Shane Andrus all went through workouts for the team.Elam, 39, has missed six field goals this season after making 29 of 31 attempts in 2008.

FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons running back Michael Turner has been receiving continued treatment for his right high ankle sprain, but he remains uncertain how close he is to returning to action."I'm just taking it easy right now and hoping for the best," Turner said Monday.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons wide receiver Roddy White doesn't beat around the bush.As far as the Pro Bowl receiver is concerned, the playoffs start when the Falcons host Tampa Bay at the Georgia Dome on Sunday."We are in the playoffs right now," White said.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. --  Lawrence Tynes' game winning field goal had barely cleared the uprights when the Falcons started trudging off the field.Some went straight for the locker room, others to shake hands while others just grouped in circles, perhaps wondering where did that 4-1 start go.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—The sarcasm hung in the air.“So if [the offensive line] would have played better, we would have won?" Falcons right tackle Tyson Clabo asked after Sunday's 34-31 overtime loss to the New York Giants. "Basic analogy. I’ll give you that.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—Brent Grimes’ voice was barely a whisper.But no megaphone was needed to convey his disappointment.“The big plays, they hurt us today.,” Grimes said Sunday after the Falcons’ 34-31 overtime loss to the Giants.The Falcons (5-5) were repeatedly burned by what had been a struggling Giants’ (6-4) offense.

1. Too many leaks in the secondary. The Falcons had too many breakdowns in the secondary. The Giants came out on the first play of the game throwing at left cornerback Brent Grimes, who was reinserted into the starting lineup for Tye Hill. He got an interception to stop their first drive.

1. Tie-Breaker Bowl: Both teams got off to dynamic starts before faltering. The Falcons were 3-1 before slipping to 5-4. The Giants opened 5-0 before dropping four consecutive. The winner gets the coveted head-to-head tiebreaker for any possible playoff berth.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons strong safety Erik Coleman hopes to make a triumphant return to New York on Sunday, the place where he started his NFL career with the New York Jets.Coleman, who's in his second season with the Falcons, is the leader of a secondary that will be severely tested against the Giants and quarterback Eli Manning.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons running back Michael Turner, who has not practiced since suffering a high right ankle sprain last Sunday, was listed as "doubtful" Friday for Sunday's game against the New York Gaints.The team released its NFL-mandated injury report.

Tom Coughlin had been asked about the significance of his New York Giants re-establishing its dominance at home.Coughlin stood at the podium and spat out a response that was to the point.“We need to win a game.”On Sunday, the Giants (5-4) get a chance to do just that when they host the Falcons at 1 p.

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – The Atlanta Falcons named wide receiver Brian Finneran the team’s nominee for the 2009 Walter Payton man of the year award on Thursday.The award recognizes a player's off-the-field community service. Each team nominates a player and the winner will be selected by a panel and recognized on field before kickoff of Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, Florida.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons linebacker Coy Wire knows about beating the odds.The self-proclaimed "undersized half-Asian kid from Pennsylvania" was not supposed to be a special-teams star.He started his career in Buffalo as a safety and his career looked to be over after he suffered nerve damage in his neck in 2007.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons backup running back Jerious Norwood participated in his first practice in almost five weeks Thursday.He suffered a right hip flexor against Chicago on Oct. 18 and has missed the past four games."Even though I've been hurt, I still feel like I've got that little step that I need," Norwood said.

Falcons running back returns from hip flexor injury suffered against Bears.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Matt Ryan started his off-day this week like he normally does.He went into the office to do some work.But he did leave himself some "chillax" -- chill out and relax -- time."I'm not going to lie, when I got home I turned on TBS and watched ‘The Office' for about three hours," Ryan said.

Backup running back prepared to carry ball for Falcons if starter Turner can't go Sunday.

FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons running back Michael Turner, who suffered a high ankle sprain against Carolina and will not practice on Wednesday, did not rule himself out for Sunday's game against the New York Giants."I don't have a time frame on the injury," Turner told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- After almost every NFL game, the head coach will make a film reference.He can't help it. It is an involuntary reflex. "We have to go watch that on film," he will say before giving an assessment on how Joey Touchdown played.Each time Falcons video director Mike Crews hears that, he flashes a little smile.

FLOWERY BRANCH – With Michael Turner's availability unknown, the Falcons will continue to shuffle their cards at running back. With Turner facing possible downtime with a high right ankle sprain, the Falcons are ready to welcome back his backup, Jerious Norwood, who's missed the last four games with a right hip flexor, coach Mike Smith said on Monday.