Falcons, Jaguars know each other, ready to meet

“It’s kind of like playing your brother or your friend in high school," Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. "You are going to do whatever you can to do your best against them.”

The two teams have also played in the past two exhibition seasons. It goes on and on.

“We are very close,” Jsaid Jones-Drew, who leads the league in rushing with 1,222 yards. “We know Mike Peterson very well and [John] Abraham. We hang out with a lot of these guys.”

Falcons coach Mike Smith was the Jaguars defensive coordinator from 2003 to 2007. He’s good friends with fired Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio. They had no problem in preparing their teams together for the regular season.

When Peterson became disgruntled in Jacksonville and was shown the door, Smith and the Falcons were quick to snap him up.

“I spent a great six years down there so naturally I’m going to be pumped up to go up against those guys,” said Peterson, who’s started the last two games with Stephen Nicholas out with a quadriceps injury.

When the Falcons were looking for a long snapper, they signed Joe Zelenka, a former Jaguar.

Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, defensive line coach Ray Hamilton, defensive back coach Alvin Reynolds, offensive line coach Paul Boudreau all coached in Jacksonville.

Also, offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey’s son, Paul, works as a scout for Jacksonville.

Peterson stays in touch with Jones-Drew and Daryl Smith, the Jaguars' second-leading tackler (131 tackles) from Georgia Tech. But there hasn’t been much trash talking.

“Not yet; they pretty much know me and they are staying away from me,” Peterson said. “They really don’t want to have anything to do with me right now.”

The two teams have taken separate paths since their last camp together.

The Jaguars released quarterback David Garrard, suffered a slew of injuries, fired Del Rio and have been sold to a new owner. They are playing for interim head coach Mel Tucker.

“In the [dictionary], under the word ‘adversity,’ the third or fourth definition is going to say, ‘Jacksonville Jaguars 2011,’” Jones-Drew said. “That’s all we’ve had with the injuries, our coach being fired and the team being sold. All of these things and no one has quit.”

While the Jaguars (4-9) are flailing away, the Falcons (8-5) are a win away from their fourth consecutive winning season. The defending NFC South champs are in the thick of the NFC playoff race.

The Falcons were down 23-7 at halftime to the Carolina Panthers last week, and answered with a 24-0 second half. They hope to use that near-perfect half of football to catapult them into an enviable playoff situation down the stretch.

Peterson has played strong in the two games he’s started. He had 13 tackles against Houston and returned an interception for a touchdown that was nullified by a penalty. Against Carolina, he also had a key interception that started the second-half rally.

"They did me a favor by letting me sit down earlier in the year," Peterson said. "I think they brought me a couple of years.”

Nicholas has returned to practice, but Peterson said he’s ready if needed.

“I’m fresh,” Peterson said. “If they call my number again, I’m going to be ready to roll again. ... I’m trying to show the young guys that it doesn’t matter how old you are or where you are at in your career, you better make the most of your opportunities.”

And it doesn't hurt to do it against friends.