ESPN NFL

This little bit of news about cornerback Brian Williams signing with the New York Giants doesn’t really impact the Atlanta Falcons. It just demonstrates why the Falcons are doing what they are at nickel back.

They’re letting young players Dominique Franks and Christopher Owens compete for the right to be the third cornerback behind Dunta Robinson and Brent Grimes. That job very easily could have belonged to Williams, and there’s little doubt he would have been the safer choice.

Williams spent the past two seasons with the Falcons and played well as the third corner and even started at times. He came from Jacksonville, where Atlanta coach Mike Smith was an assistant before taking over the Falcons. In short, Williams would have been a comfortable fit for the Falcons.

But that never really was an option. The Falcons decided sometime between the end of last season and the start of the lockout that Williams wasn’t in their plans. The logic was simple. Williams is 32 and has absolutely no upside. You know what you’re getting with Williams. That’s an experienced guy, who isn’t going to make a lot of mistakes, but isn’t going to make many big plays.

The Falcons took all that into consideration and knew that Franks and Owens rarely would see the field if they brought Williams back. He was just good enough that any coaching staff would rather take the safe approach and play him over Franks and Owens.

The Falcons are letting Owens and Franks battle for the job at nickel back throughout the preseason and there have been moments where both have stepped up. Smith has yet to declare a winner in the competition and there might be some mistakes ahead.

But Owens and Franks both have upside and either one could turn out to be much better than Williams ever was. That’s why Williams was sitting out there until late August, when the Giants had a slew of injuries at cornerback and had to grasp for someone who probably won’t do anything special.

Time for a look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

Atlanta veteran Mike Peterson isn’t having a problem accepting a backup role as Stephen Nicholas moves into the starting lineup at linebacker. Although the Falcons let receiver Brian Finneran and Brian Williams leave because they feared their presence would hold back the development of young players, they kept Peterson because they wanted his experience and leadership around.

Carolina right tackle Jeff Otah has been doing some work as he recovers from a knee problem. Coach Ron Rivera said Otah is progressing and should be ready soon. Keep an eye on this one. Otah missed all of last season with a knee injury and came back strong at the start of training camp. But he began experiencing problems with swelling and that’s caused some concern. With a healthy Otah, Carolina could have a very good offensive line. Without him, there’s a big drop.

Injuries are starting to pile up for the Saints. Guard Carl Nicks left Monday night’s practice with a knee injury. Coach Sean Payton didn’t know the severity of that injury right after practice. Defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin has a sprained knee and is expected to be out a few weeks.

Rick Stroud points out that although Tampa Bay cornerback Aqib Talib has yet to have his day in court for an aggravated assault charge, he still could be suspended if commissioner Roger Goodell determines he violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Carolina rookie quarterback Cam Newton (and his competition with Jimmy Clausen for the starting job) was the hottest topic in Friday’s NFC South chat.

But we covered lots of other ground. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

ck (Charlotte, NC): If Cam plays well, throws a touchdown and no picks. He will be the Starter when they play week one. Agree or disagree?

Pat Yasinskas: Agree. Will have a poll going up on blog shortly in which you can vote for who you think Carolina's opening-day starter will be. My vote right now is Cam. Unless he goes out and just plays horribly tonight, I think he gets the job.

Ted (Charlotte, NC): Let's be honest, Cam Newton is a rookie and could very well not have a good game against the Dolphins. What does it take for Cam NOT to be named the starter week 1?

Pat Yasinskas: Go out and throw a couple picks and look totally lost in the offense. It could happen. But, at the same time, I think he'll be surrounded by the starters and that should prevent any major disaster.

E.B. (Decatur, GA): Pat, I feel like the Falcons are close to contending for a championship. I would have liked to see them go after another veteran corner although they have Owens and Franks battling it out for the Nickel spot. What do they need to do in your mind in order to bring a title home this season?

Pat Yasinskas: Understand your thinking. But their thinking is that Owens and Franks both have lots of potential and one of them should step up. They could have gone out and re-signed the veteran they had the last couple years (drawing a blank on his name at the moment, but he played in Jacksonville before Atlanta). They thought about it, but decided if they brought him back it would hold back the development of Owens and Franks.

Sharell (NCFalconFan): Very happy with my team (everyone can say that in preseason). My 2 concern, Smitty and Mularkey play calling, will they still be a run heavy, run first, run all the time offense. The secondary is always worry me. Brian Williams was the player we let go, he is still a free agent. If we have a bad showing in the pre-season, I'm sure he will get a call.

Pat Yasinskas: Like I said, I think they re-evaluated things during the lockout and you will see some changes. Mainly, more downfield passing. Now, they're not going to suddenly just abandon the run. But the presence of a downfield game should only help Michael Turner. Yeah, Brian Williams is right. I almost wrote Jimmy Williams, but knew that wasn't right. Thanks.

David (Florida): Pat do you see Meacham being used more this year or will it be more of the same as in past years?

Pat Yasinskas: Think he'll be more of a factor this year. He looked good when I was at camp this year. Think he was banged up much of last year and never really got on track.

Greg (Charlotte, NC): After watching New England's first team dismantle Tampa Bay's first teamers last night, do you think Tampa Bay might have a harder time continuing on the success they had last year, especially against tougher teams like the Pats?

Pat Yasinskas: Certainly were lots of issues that were obvious last night. But, again, I don't think you should read too much into preseason games.

JC (MS): Like your take on the Bucs game last night! Funny! But the Glazers better come up with a way to fill those empty seats at Ray Jay, last night didn’t help, what do you think they should do? Free beer night?

Pat Yasinskas: That is a tough one. I know the economy is tough all over, but it's particularly bad in Florida. They've got a young team coming off a 10-6 season and are having trouble selling tickets. They've been creative with marketing and such. But it's a very difficult market at a very difficult time. I don't know what the answer is.

Tim (Colorado Springs): Who do see getting the most carries out of New Orleans backfield?

Pat Yasinskas: Ingram, by far.

Here’s the complete transcript from Friday’s NFC South chat.

If you’re worried about the Final Eight Plan limiting what the Atlanta Falcons can do in free agency, stop it.

The plan was a one-time thing, instituted in 2010’s uncapped year. It impacted the New Orleans Saints, who won the Super Bowl the season before. As part of the rule, teams were allowed to sign only the number of unrestricted free agents that they lost to other teams and there were some salary guidelines that further restricted teams that at least made it to the divisional round of the playoffs after the 2009 season. The Falcons lost in the divisional round last season.

But all indications from both sides are that the plan won’t be used in any new collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players. That’s good news for the Falcons because they’re unlikely to lose any big-name free agents. They’re expected to bring back veteran linebacker Mike Peterson, but are likely to let veteran receiver Brian Finneran and cornerback Brian Williams sign elsewhere.

Offensive linemen Harvey Dahl and Tyson Clabo have five accrued seasons and are not under contract for this year. But their status will be determined by a new deal and we don’t know if that will require four or five seasons for players to reach unrestricted free agency.

Without the limitations of the final eight plan, the Falcons will be free to pursue as many free agents as they want. The team already has shown a “win-now’’ mentality by trading up to draft receiver Julio Jones. I expect that trend to continue once free agency starts and the Falcons are likely to make adding a pass-rushing defensive end their top priority.

There also have been suggestions the Falcons could pursue Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and a tight end to pair with veteran Tony Gonzalez. I’m not sure the Falcons would invest huge money in Asomugha, one year after breaking the bank for Dunta Robinson. But owner Arthur Blank, coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, so far, have made it clear they think this team is on the cusp of a Super Bowl, so anything is possible.

Assuming the lockout gets lifted before there is a labor agreement -- and that seems a likely scenario at the moment, the free-agency period will open under the same rules that were in place in 2010.

Lots of you have been asking for months about guys who may or may not be unrestricted free agents. I’ve been hesitant to answer that one because so many guys were in uncertain territory. But, if free agency does open under the 2010 rules, a lot of young stars, such as Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams, will remain with the Panthers as a restricted free agent.

Without guys like Williams, the list of potential unrestricted free agents doesn’t look nearly as tantalizing. Here’s a good list of potential unrestricted free agents at each position.

I’m scanning it and not really seeing many big names from NFC South teams who can test the open market. There’s Tampa Bay running back Cadillac Williams, who developed into a nice niche player as a third-down back last season. The Bucs would like him back and it might be difficult for Williams to find more money or a bigger role elsewhere.

There’s Tampa Bay middle linebacker Barrett Ruud. I’m thinking he’ll get some interest on the open market because he’s a quality player. Ruud’s been looking for a long-term contract extension for a couple years and the Bucs haven’t given it to him. If he gets a chance to run out the door, I think he might take it.

New Orleans outside linebacker Scott Shanle also is on the list, but I doubt he’ll test the free-agent market. I think Shanle is one of those guys the Saints talked to before the lockout about a new deal. The Saints did this with the agents for several players and I think they were being pro-active to make sure they keep guys they want.

There also are guys like Atlanta cornerback Brian Williams and New Orleans safety Darren Sharper. I think those veteran guys will be allowed to test the market. They’re the kind of guys you can still sign in July, maybe even August, if there’s a sudden need for veteran depth on your team.

Let's take a quick trip through some NFC South headlines.

D. Orlando Ledbetter reports the agents for veteran receiver Brian Finneran and cornerback Brian Williams have been told their clients won’t receive contract offers to stay with the Falcons before the expected labor lockout. That’s probably the exact same route the Falcons would take with those two at this point even if there was a labor agreement. Finneran’s clearly nearing the end of his career, and the Falcons have some young receivers they want to get more playing time. They could also address the position in the draft. Williams has been a valuable contributor as the nickel back, but has had problems staying healthy. They’re the kind of players who wouldn’t get grabbed up quickly in a normal year for free agency. The Falcons aren’t closing the door on re-signing Finneran and Williams at a later date, and that makes sense, because Atlanta only will consider bringing the veterans back if the team isn’t happy with what it gets at their positions in the draft.

George Whitfield, Jr., the quarterback coach who prepared Cam Newton for the scouting combine, said the former Auburn quarterback is “beyond coachable.’’ Anybody else think the Panthers, who are talking to anyone and everyone who ever has crossed paths with Newton, might have heard the same thing from Whitfield?

Steve Reed has an overview of how the lockout will impact the Panthers, and he includes a good point that teams will not be allowed to send e-mails, letters or packages to their players if a lockout takes place. A lot of people seem to think there will be some wink-and-nod deals where teams and coaches will stay in contact with players to make sure they’re preparing for the season. But the league and owners are very serious that, if there is indeed a lockout, it will mean players will be totally isolated from their teams.

Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium ranked No. 9 in the league in this list of best places to watch a game. Maybe I’m a little partial because I live in Tampa, but I’d rank the facility in the top five. But, then again, I don’t get the full fan experience, because I’m sitting in the press box. Just for fun, if somebody asked me to rank the four NFC South stadiums, I’d go with Raymond James Stadium, Bank of America Stadium, the Georgia Dome and the Superdome in that order. Yeah, I prefer the great outdoors. Superdome is a wonderful venue in a lot of ways, and the crowds are tremendous (best in the NFC South), but it’s also a bit of a logistical challenge -- at least from my perspective.

Atlanta Falcons

Troy Heinzman takes a look at the Falcons' draft tendencies since 2008.

Mike Reiter writes that the Falcons should strongly consider bringing back pending free agent cornerback Brian Williams.

ESPN's John Clayton addresses the Falcons' draft needs in his mailbag.

The Jets have hired former Falcons assistant Bill Hughan as their new strength coach, replacing Sal Alosi.

Carolina Panthers

Potential No. 1 overall draft pick, Da'Quan Bowers, underwent arthroscopic surgery shortly after Clemson's loss in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. It's unclear how the surgery will affect Bowers at the NFL combine.

The Panthers should attempt to trade receiver Steve Smith for more draft picks, according NFL.com's Michael Lombardi.

New Orleans Saints

Mike Triplett looks at some veteran players who may need to renegotiate their contracts to stick with the Saints. Among the candidates: Reggie Bush, Jeremy Shockey and Devery Henderson.

The Saints could play in the first game of the regular season for the second straight year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarterback Josh Freeman plans to continue working out with teammates even if the owners lock the players out in early March.

Former Bucs Derrick Brooks and Mike Alstott were inducted Friday night into the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame.

As with just about everything else in the NFL, there is huge uncertainty when it comes to the use of franchise tags.

Get ready to start hearing a lot more about this. According to the league and its teams, franchise tags can be assigned starting Thursday. According to the NFL Players Association, franchise tags cannot be used – at least until there is a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, which could take months.

You’re probably going to see the two sides fight this one out and some teams will probably cast the first stone by announcing Thursday, or soon after, that they are assigning franchise tags. We’ll see how that plays out in the long run. But, at very least, we can take a look at guys who could get franchise tags in the NFC South.

I just went through all my contract stuff and I’m seeing three prime candidates. Again, there is some uncertainty here because there is no labor agreement and the way any potential deal is structured could play a big role in deciding if some players are restricted or unrestricted free agents.

But the three guys that could come into play are Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams, Tampa Bay offensive guard Davin Joseph and Tampa Bay linebacker Barrett Ruud. Each team can only use a franchise tag on one player, if they chose to use it at all.

We don’t know the price of 2011 franchise tags, but we can look back to 2010 as a reference point. The tag for a running back was $8.2 million. For an offensive lineman, it was $10.7 million. For a linebacker, it was $9.7 million.

Let’s take a look at the significant players for each team who currently are not under contract for 2011 and see how this might play into the situation with franchise tags. Again, some players may fall into the category of restricted free agents, depending on how a potential labor agreement is structured.

Atlanta: Mike Peterson, Tyson Clabo, Harvey Dahl, Jerious Norwood, Jason Snelling, Brian Williams, Justin Blalock, Brian Finneran, Matt Bryant, Michael Koenen, Stephen Nicholas, Brent Grimes and Eric Weems.

Summary: Grimes is coming off a breakout season and likely will be classified as a restricted free agent. Most of the veterans on this list are role players and wouldn’t be considered for the franchise tag. The two long-shot exceptions could be kicker Bryant and punter Koenen. The Falcons used the franchise tag on Koenen in 2009 and let him play for the restricted free agent tender last year. The 2010 franchise tag for punters and kickers was $2.8 million. I have a tough time seeing general manager Thomas Dimitroff using a franchise tag on a punter or kicker. The Falcons don’t really have any need to use the tag.

Tampa Bay: Ronde Barber, Barrett Ruud, Cadillac Williams, Davin Joseph, Stylez G. White, John Gilmore, Maurice Stovall, Jeremy Trueblood, Quincy Black, Tim Crowder and Adam Hayward.

Summary: The Bucs should have a ton of cap room to work with, so they should be able to handle a franchise tag easily. But it remains to be seen if they want to use it on either of the two realistic candidates: Joseph or Ruud. Joseph is a guy they want to keep in the middle of their offensive line, but they might be able to work a long-term deal that would be a lot more cap friendly. Ruud has made it clear to the Bucs for two years that he would like a long-term contract. That’s never happened. Maybe he’s just not in their long-range plans.

New Orleans: Jonathan Goodwin, Scott Shanle, Roman Harper, Darren Sharper, Jimmy Wilkerson, Lance Moore, Jermon Bushrod, Pierre Thomas, Anthony Hargrove, Courtney Roby, David Thomas, Remi Ayodele, Heath Evans and Carl Nicks.

Summary: The Saints have more than 20 potential free agents and even the guys I singled out above aren’t huge stars. Nicks is probably the best player on the list. But he has three years of service in and almost certainly would qualify as a restricted free agent in any new agreement. Goodwin’s a good player, but I think the Saints would rather take their chances on working a new deal with him than using the franchise tag on a center.

Carolina: Thomas Davis, Matt Moore, DeAngelo Williams, Jeff King, Richard Marshall, James Anderson, Ryan Kalil, Charles Johnson and Dante Rosario.

Summary: Kalil and Johnson are key players, but they could end up as restricted free agents. Williams is the key guy. The Panthers have depth at running back with Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson. But Stewart has had durability issues and Williams is a playmaker on a team that needs all the offense it can get. Maybe the Panthers try to work a long-term deal with Williams, but they might try to protect him in the short term by using the franchise tag.

I just opened the mailbag for the first time since before the Atlanta Falcons' disappointing playoff loss to Green Bay. Lots of frustration and venom from Atlanta fans and it looks like New Orleans fans still are feeling some of that more than a week after the Saints' disappointing loss to the Seahawks. On the flip side, it seems like Tampa Bay and Carolina fans have closed the book on the 2010 season and are looking ahead.

Sean in White Plains, N.Y., asks if the Falcons are giving any thought to getting rid of defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder after Saturday night’s disastrous defensive performance.

Pat Yasinskas: I understand why you’re asking this question (Atlanta’s defense was horrible Saturday) and many others are asking the same thing. But, in his season-ending news conference Monday, Mike Smith said he was planning on keeping his staff together. You can debate whether that’s the right or wrong move. But one thing I’ve learned about Smith is he’s a very straight shooter. He’s not the type to say one thing and turn around and do another. Keep one other thing in mind: Smith comes from a defensive background and is heavily involved in what the Falcons do on defense.

---

Ken in New York asks if the Panthers might re-sign quarterback Matt Moore.

Pat Yasinskas: In past years, I’d say that could happen. But I think the page has turned in Carolina -- or at least I hope the page has turned in Carolina. The Panthers fully realize they didn’t have good quarterback play last season. They’re keeping Jimmy Clausen because he’s under contract and because some people in the organization still have hope he can develop into a decent quarterback. But Moore is coming off an injury and I think the Panthers will let him go into free agency. I’m pretty sure they will go out and try to find someone they see as a significant upgrade over Moore and someone who is a very viable alternative if Clausen doesn’t step up.

---

Ned in Canada asks if there is any chance the Falcons might pursue Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency.

Pat Yasinskas: My guess is it’s a long shot because there is going to be a lot of competition for Asomugha and the price tag is likely to be very high. The Falcons already spent a pile of money on Dunta Robinson last year and I don’t see them paying huge money to two cornerbacks. Obviously, the injury to Brian Williams showed a need for more depth at cornerback on Saturday. But I think the Falcons will address that through the draft or with a mid-level free agent. General manager Thomas Dimitroff has established a track record of targeting one big free agent each offseason. Yes, cornerback is a position where the Falcons have some need. But I don’t think it’s their biggest area of need. If the Falcons are going to sign one big free agent, my guess is it will be a pass-rusher or a left offensive tackle.

---

J Ross in Cheyenne, Wyo., asks why John Clayton considers Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco as “elite’’ quarterbacks, but doesn’t put Josh Freeman in that same category.

Pat Yasinskas: I can’t speak for John Clayton, although I have tremendous respect for his opinion on everything related to football. Also, I don’t know how you truly define “elite." But I will say I think Freeman already is in the same general category as Ryan and Flacco and he just finished his first full season as a starter. There obviously are a lot of variables, but I think Freeman has the upside to eventually be better than Ryan or Flacco.

---

Nick in London, Ontario, Canada, asks if the Buccaneers will bring back Ronde Barber for one more season.

Pat Yasinskas: Barber’s contract is up and the potential lockout could make for a strange and messy preseason. But I think the bottom line here is the choice will be up to Barber. He still was playing at a high level. If he wants to continue playing, I suspect the Bucs will give him that opportunity. At the same time, I think they also need to use free agency or the draft to prepare for the day that Barber is no longer playing.

---

Tony in New York asks if Sean Payton made a huge mistake by playing his starters in the regular-season finale against Tampa Bay.

Pat Yasinskas: It’s been a long time since anyone’s had any reason to question any of Sean Payton’s move. Virtually everything he did in the 2009 Super Bowl season was perfect. But, yeah, I think it’s valid to at least do some second guessing on him playing the starters in the regular-season finale when it was pretty obvious Atlanta was going to have an easy time beating Carolina and securing the home-field advantage. The injuries to safety Malcolm Jenkins and running back Chris Ivory certainly left the Saints short-handed in their playoff loss to Seattle.

ATLANTA -- Their season is over. That “process’’ that the Atlanta Falcons always talk about? Well, we found out Saturday night that it’s far from complete.

After showing signs (a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs) all season that they had turned a corner and had a shot at the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history, the Falcons got a hard dose of reality. Despite all those bright spots, the Falcons haven’t arrived just yet.

You can’t be a championship team -- or anything really close to it -- when you’re getting trounced by the sixth-seeded Green Bay Packers 48-21 in your home building. What happened in the Georgia Dome might not take all that long to sink in because the flaws were so obvious.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers (31-of-36 for 366 yards, three touchdowns and a 136.8 passer rating) had a game for the ages. Atlanta’s defense had a game that clearly showed that, even after two offseasons of focusing on upgrading that side of the ball, it still needs some pretty major work.

“It was a very disappointing evening for our football team and for our fans,’’ Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. “We will come back from it. I can assure you of that.’’

Smith uses the “process’’ theme more than anyone and has since the day he arrived in Atlanta in 2008. Now, it’s going to be up to Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff to figure out how to take the next steps in going from a team that’s very good in the regular season to one that can carry that right through the postseason.

When they watch the film of the Green Bay game, there will be some pretty huge clues and most of them stem from the defensive side. It first should be noted that the Falcons were playing without injured nickel back Brian Williams. But it also should be noted that playing without an injured nickel back shouldn’t be reason enough for a good team to lose.

Second-year pro Christopher Owens struggled mightily filling in for Williams. But Owens shouldn’t be singled out for making mistakes. A lot of other guys on the defense had problems too, but Owens serves nicely as a symbol for where this defense truly is.

After working mostly on the offense (bringing in quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner in their first year), Smith and Dimitroff spent the past two seasons trying to get the defense to catch up with the offense. Rodgers’ performance showed the defense isn’t where it needs to be yet.

The Falcons need players such as Owens, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (this season’s first-round pick) and defensive tackle Peria Jerry (last season’s first-round pick) to become impact players. But it’s not just about young guys stepping up.

Cornerback Dunta Robinson, Atlanta’s lone significant free-agent pickup this season, was beaten several times as Green Bay put together four touchdown drives of 80 yards or more. Safeties Thomas DeCoud and William Moore, who showed most of the season that they are developing more quickly than Weatherspoon and Jerry, also deserve some blame for Green Bay’s success. And let’s not forget the pass rush, which was a major problem for the Falcons last season. Despite that, the Falcons didn’t make any major personnel moves up front this season. Instead, they gambled that signing Robinson would provide better coverage that would lead to more sacks and they took a leap of faith that veteran defensive end John Abraham would bounce back after a quiet 2009 season.

Those gambles worked in the regular season as Abraham produced 13 sacks. But the regular season looked like a mirage Saturday night. The Falcons sacked Rodgers twice.

“We had opportunities to get him on the ground,’’ Smith said. “We had free runners, but we didn’t convert.’’

Speaking of converting, the usually efficient Atlanta offense didn’t do much of that. Ryan, who now is 0-2 in the postseason, could only watch as Rodgers had a game that firmly established him as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Ryan started off well, but that quickly faded. He threw two interceptions, including one that was returned 70 yards by Tramon Williams on the final play of the first half to give Green Bay a 28-14 lead. With Turner getting only one carry in the second half and finishing the game with 10 carries for 39 yards, the Falcons produced only two offensive touchdowns (the third came on a kickoff return by Eric Weems). Ryan completed 20 of 29 passes for one touchdown and had a 69.0 passer rating.

“Any time you’re in the playoffs, you have an opportunity to go win it all,’’ Ryan said. “It’s disappointing when that doesn't happen.’’

There was plenty of disappointment in the Atlanta locker room after the game. But there also were some strong undercurrents of hope for the future.

“We will learn from it,’’ Smith said. “There’s a whole body of work that we put together and that can’t be forgotten.’’

“We’re still a very young team in the big scope of things,’’ Dimitroff said. “We have a lot of third- and fourth-year players as our core and we’ve been very encouraged by their development. They need to keep developing and we need to keep moving forward.’’

There is change with every NFL team every year and the Falcons won’t be an exception. Smith and Dimitroff won’t sit still. They’ll continue with the process and they’ll address the needs that became so obvious against the Packers.

“We’ve got a lot of good things to build on from what we did this year,’’ Ryan said.

He’s got a point. Players such as Ryan, Roddy White, Curtis Lofton and Jonathan Babineaux all are in their prime or nearing it. Players such as Abraham, center Todd McClure and tight end Tony Gonzalez are aging, but they also still played at a high level this season and could keep going.

“The future of this team is bright,’’ said Gonzalez, who is 34 and said he won’t make any decision about his future until he has a little time to relax and think a bit, but added he still loves football and feels healthy. “This is going to be one of the glamour teams of the NFL for the next five or six years. I guarantee you that.’’

Well, a guarantee might be a little strong. But the point is, the Falcons have the core in place. They just need to make a few more moves to finish the process.

ATLANTA -- As expected, Atlanta cornerback Brian Williams will miss tonight’s playoff game against Green Bay.

He didn’t practice all week due to a knee injury and has been put on the inactive list tonight. That means Christopher Owens will have to step into Williams’ role as a nickel back. A second-year pro, Owens isn’t nearly as experienced as Williams. Owens runs well, but is undersized and isn’t known as a physical player. The Packers may try to target Owens when he’s on the field.

Also inactive for the Falcons are linebacker Spencer Adkins, offensive tackle Garrett Reynolds, guard Mike Johnson, tight end Michael Palmer, defensive end Lawrence Sidbury and defensive tackle Trey Lewis. John Parker Wilson has been designated as the third quarterback.

Divisional Final Word: Ravens-Steelers | Jets-Patriots | Packers-Falcons | Seahawks-Bears

Three nuggets of knowledge on Saturday’s playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.

Forgotten Falcons. The Falcons can take some comfort in being at home, where they were 7-1 this season, and that they beat Green Bay in a regular-season meeting in late November. But the Packers aren’t the same team they were in late November. They’re better. After getting two must-win games at the end of the regular season and defeating Philadelphia in the opening round of the playoffs last week, the Packers are the “hot’’ team right now. With a first-round bye, Atlanta has somewhat become a forgotten team in the national media. The Falcons can change all that by going out and doing the things they did to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Defense wins championships. When you think of the Falcons, you think of Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. But I’ve got a hunch those offensive guys won’t be the most important people in the Georgia Dome on Saturday night. I think this game’s going to be similar to the November regular-season meeting between the Falcons and Packers. Atlanta won that game 17-14 and the Falcons played one of their best defensive games of the year. I think they need to do something similar this time, and the guy I’m going to be keeping an eye on is John Abraham. With a week of rest, I expect Abraham to be able to put some pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Abraham had 13 sacks in the regular season, and he’s getting near the end of his career. He’s got a shot at the Hall of Fame, but his résumé would look dramatically better if the Falcons won this game, the NFC championship and at least made it to the Super Bowl.

Next man up. With veteran cornerback Brian Williams dealing with a knee injury, the Falcons may have to turn to Christopher Owens as their nickelback. A second-year pro, Owens has had some playing time at nickelback this season, but he hasn’t thrived. He’s undersized and isn’t known for being a very physical defender. That could make him a target for the Green Bay offense.

I just received the final injury reports on the Falcons and Packers for Saturday night’s playoff game. Let’s take a look.

Atlanta. Cornerback Brian Williams (knee) is doubtful and did not practice all week. That means Christopher Owens likely will work as the nickel back. Atlanta has six other guys on the injury report and they all are listed as questionable. They are defensive end John Abraham (groin), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder), safety Thomas DeCoud (ankle), linebacker Curtis Lofton (knee), center Todd McClure (ankle) and receiver Roddy White (knee). But I think you’ll see all six of those guys playing Saturday. They all went through the full practice Friday after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday.

Green Bay. The Packers are listing safety Atari Bigby (groin), fullback Korey Hall and offensive lineman Jason Spitz (calf) as questionable, and have declared linebacker Frank Zombo (knee) as out. They have eight other guys on the injury report, but all of those are listed as probable.

The Falcons and the Packers just sent out their first injury reports for the week for Saturday night’s playoff game. Let’s take a look.

Atlanta. The Falcons appear pretty healthy after having a first-round bye. They listed seven players on the injury report, but only cornerback Brian Williams (knee) did not take part in Wednesday’s practice. Defensive end John Abraham (groin), defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder), safety Thomas DeCoud (ankle), linebacker Curtis Lofton (knee), center Todd McClure (ankle) and receiver Roddy White (knee) all took part in practice on a limited basis. The Falcons frequently rested Abraham and McClure in practices during the regular season. Lofton, Babineaux and White were all dealing with their injuries later in the season and it wasn’t uncommon for them to sit out or practice on a limited basis near the end of the regular season.

Green Bay. The Packers have 11 players on the injury report and three of them participated fully in practice. Only linebacker Frank Zombo (knee) and offensive lineman Jason Spitz (calf) sat out completely. Safety Atari Bigby (groin), tackle Bryan Bulaga (shoulder), tackle Chad Clifton (knee), fullback Korey Hall (knee), defensive end Cullen Jenkins (calf) and linebacker Clay Matthews (calf) practiced on a limited basis.

ATLANTA -- As expected, cornerback Dunta Robinson will be inactive for the Falcons today.

Robinson is coming off a concussion last week and the Falcons are looking at the long term. After today’s game with the Bengals, they have a bye week, allowing Robinson more time to recover.

Christopher Owens will start in Robinson’s place and veteran Brian Williams likely will be the nickelback. The Falcons also will be without injured linebacker Sean Weatherspoon. Stephen Nicholas will start in Weatherspoon's place.

Also inactive for the Falcons are tight end Justin Peelle, tackle Garrett Reynolds, defensive tackle Trey Lewis, running back Antone Smith, guard Mike Johnson and John Parker Wilson is the third quarterback.