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The Atlanta Falcons have had the quietest offseason of any NFC South team. But that doesn't mean they won't have some changes in their starting lineup.

Now that the NFL draft is over, let's take a look at my best guess at what Atlanta's starting lineup will look like in September.

OFFENSE

• QB Matt Ryan

• RB Michael Turner

• FB Ovie Mughelli

• WR Roddy White

• WR Julio Jones

• TE Tony Gonzalez

• LT Sam Baker (or someone not yet on the roster)

• LG Justin Blalock

• C Joe Hawley (I’m guessing he starts ahead of Todd McClure)

• RG Peter Konz (unless he ends up playing center)

• RT Tyson Clabo

DEFENSE

• DE John Abraham

• DT Corey Peters

• DT Jonathan Babineaux

• DE Ray Edwards

• OLB Sean Weatherspoon

• MLB Akeem Dent (Falcons would like him to beat out veteran Lofa Tatupu)

• OLB Stephen Nicholas

• CB Brent Grimes

• CB Dunta Robinson (Asante Samuel will play as much as Grimes and Robinson)

• SS William Moore

• FS Thomas DeCoud

SPECIALISTS

• K Matt Bryant

• P Matt Bosher

• PR Dominique Franks

• KR Jacquizz Rodgers

Let's take a quick look at the early-Tuesday-morning headlines from around the NFC South. As you might expect, many of them include the New Orleans Saints and their various problems.

• Free-agent defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, who spent last season with New Orleans, visited the Falcons on Monday. I’d say this one is just due diligence and, if anything is going to happen, it will come after the draft. Atlanta needs some depth in the middle of the defensive line, but isn't desperate. The Falcons have Corey Peters, Jonathan Babineaux and Peria Jerry. Peters has had a very nice first two seasons. Babineaux had a quiet 2011; Jerry has never come close to his potential since suffering a knee injury early in his rookie season. Franklin has some history with new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, so he could be an option if the Falcons aren’t satisfied with their situation at defensive tackle after the draft.

• The Saints and general manager Mickey Loomis are denying a report that he had the ability to eavesdrop on opposing coaches from 2002 through 2004. But, John DeShazier writes, the news causes another distraction for a franchise that already has plenty of them as a result of what the NFL says was a three-year bounty program.

• Here’s a statement from Loomis in which he emphatically denies the report.

• Jim Haslett, who coached the Saints during the period in which Loomis allegedly had the ability to listen to opposing coaches, said he had no knowledge of Loomis actually doing so.

• Mike Triplett writes that the news on Loomis probably won’t get the general manager fired. He might be right. Saints owner Tom Benson has stood by Loomis through the Vicodin scandal a couple years ago and through the bounty program that’s dominated the headlines for more than a month. There haven’t been any indications the latest allegations will change Benson’s mind.

• Ron Green Jr. writes that Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly could make an instant impact if the Panthers take him at No. 9 in the NFL draft. No argument here. Kuechly had a highly productive college career and comes with very few questions. It’s rare that you can say that about a prospect near the end of the top 10. Plus, Carolina owner Jerry Richardson and general manager Marty Hurney really like guys that come with no obvious questions.

• Tampa Bay’s coaching change affected more than the Bucs. It also affected the football team at Tampa’s Plant High School, which has been a state and national power in recent years. With former tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts joining the Colts, his son, Austin Roberts, a top college prospect at tight end, is leaving Plant’s program. But the Panthers are getting receiver/defensive back Tristan Cooper. His father, Ron Cooper, is the new defensive defensive backs coach for the Bucs.

They were first-round picks and that alone created enormous expectations for Atlanta offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive tackle Peria Jerry.

Baker was taken in 2008, the same year the Falcons drafted quarterback Matt Ryan. The theory was, the Falcons would have their franchise quarterback and the protector of their franchise quarterback for the next decade or so. Jerry was taken in 2009 and was expected to be a dominant run stopper as well as provide a little interior pass rush. On paper, both picks looked like smart moves at the time.

In cold, hard reality, Baker and Jerry never have lived up to the expectations of Atlanta fans. They haven’t even come close. Baker was viewed as serviceable at first, but he’s regressed in the eyes of fans. And their perception was pretty close to reality last season, when journeyman Will Svitek ended up starting ahead of him. Jerry’s career simply was cursed almost right from the start. In the second game of his rookie season, Jerry tore up his knee. The Falcons and Jerry have never officially described the injury, but let’s just say Jerry tore just about everything in his knee. He barely has been a factor since.

That’s why there was speculation Baker and Jerry would be cut this offseason. But, guess what? That’s not happening. Our first clue came when free agency started. If the Falcons were going to pull the plug on Baker and Jerry, it would have happened before free agency started in March because that would have given the Falcons some much-needed cap room.

But, now, we’ve got even more concrete proof. I sat down with Atlanta coach Mike Smith during the NFL owners meeting earlier this week. I asked him specifically about the futures of Baker and Jerry.

In each case, Smith, as straight-forward a coach as I’ve ever dealt with, said the Falcons remain “committed’’ to Jerry and Baker.

Let’s start with Baker. This one might be painful to fans, but it’s a little easier to see what Smith is saying. The reality is, you just don’t find a franchise left tackle in the draft when you’re not picking until the second round. There wasn’t anything close to a franchise left tackle in free agency. In that situation, sometimes it’s best to stick with what you’ve got instead of reaching. Apparently, that’s what the Falcons are planning to do.

“We are very committed to Sam Baker,’’ Smith said. “I think Sam has a long future with us.’’

Smith is the kind of coach that likes to say most positions are open to competition in training camp. I think that’s true at left tackle, where Baker will have to compete with Svitek and anyone else the Falcons might bring in between now and then. But I also got the impression the Falcons are hoping Baker steps up and claims the job. I’m not saying Baker will ever be a Pro Bowler, but I think this guy has been banged up a lot more than people realize. I get the impression the Falcons think Baker can be adequate or slightly better than that, if he’s healthy.

“I think that Sam has shown a lot of resiliency,’’ Smith said. “Sam really has worked through a lot of injuries throughout his career. He’s played through a lot of things. Sam, in my mind, was playing very well through the first five or six games last season until he was injured and had to have the procedure done on his back, which put him out for a very significant amount of time.’’

Jerry’s a bit of a different story. I think the Falcons pretty much have accepted the fact, he never will be a superstar. But Smith made it sound like there still is a spot on the roster for Jerry as a role player.

“We’ve committed to Peria Jerry and Peria ended up playing about 30 percent of the snaps (last season),’’ Smith said. “He was a rotational player. He had some production, but it wasn’t consistent production throughout the year.’’

I reminded Smith how he said he thought Jerry would bounce back and have a big impact last season because he was further out from the knee surgery. That obviously didn’t happen and I asked Smith if Jerry’s knee still was holding him back last season.

“I can’t say that it is an issue,’’ Smith said. “It was a significant injury. I don’t know that Peria was the same guy he was before the injury. You see his ability to get up the field at times and we still feel he can be a very productive player for us.’’

I wouldn’t look for Jerry to suddenly jump into the starting lineup. Corey Peters has developed into a very solid defensive tackle. The other starter is Jonathan Babineaux. Although he’s coming off a sub-par season, it wasn’t all that long ago that Babineaux was the best defensive tackle in the NFC South. I’d look for Jerry to continue to rotate in behind those two guys. If he can be a little more consistent and productive than he was last season, I think the Falcons will be content with Jerry as their third defensive tackle.

“We need to be more consistent,’’ Smith said. “Not only Peria, but across the board on the defensive line.’’

The NFC South is a division without a dominant defensive tackle.

But I think it’s fair to say Atlanta’s Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux, New Orleans’ Sedrick Ellis and Tampa Bay’s Brian Price were the best the NFC South had to offer in 2011. Apparently, their coaches agreed.

According to playing-time numbers obtained by ESPN.com, Ellis led all NFC South tackles by taking part in 66.3 percent of New Orleans’ 1,061 defensive plays. That percentage ranked Ellis No. 16 in the NFL and he was the only NFC South player in the top 20.

Peters was next at 60.4 percent, which ranked No. 23 in the league. Babineaux was No. 30 at 54.1 percent. Price, who was somewhat limited by injuries and was sent home early from one game by former coach Raheem Morris, took part in 47.1 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive plays. That tied him at No. 37 in the league with teammate Roy Miller.

Carolina rookie Terrell McClain was one spot behind them, taking part in 46 percent of his team’s defensive plays. After that, there was a big drop off among the rest of the division’s tackles and we should note that Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy probably would have finished in the top four or five in the NFC South if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury.

Let’s take a look at the percentage of playing time for the rest of the NFC South defensive tackles:

• Sione Fua, Panthers, 39.7
• Vance Walker, Falcons, 36.85
• Andre Neblett, Panthers, 36.2
• Albert Haynesworth, Buccaneers, 35.8 (included time with Patriots)
• Peria Jerry, Falcons, 35.6
• Tom Johnson, Saints, 30.1
• Shaun Rogers, Saints, 29.7
• Frank Okam, Buccaneers, 28.2
• Aubrayo Franklin, Saints, 27.3
• Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers, 20.8
• Frank Kearse, Panthers, 16.5
• Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Panthers, 15.6
• Ronald Fields, Panthers, 13.9
• Mitch King, Saints, 4.8
• Carlton Powell, Falcons, 3.8
• DeMario Pressley, Panthers, 3.8
• Jovan Haye, Buccaneers, 2.8

Defense wasn’t a strength in the NFC South in the 2011 season. In fact, it was a big problem for the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and only an occasional strength for the Atlanta Falcons.

But there were some solid individual performances. With that in mind, let’s roll out the All-NFC South defense.

Defensive end: Charles Johnson, Panthers. He got his huge contract in the summer, but didn’t take the money and disappear. Johnson came through with nine sacks and also played the run fairly well.

Defensive end: Adrian Clayborn, Buccaneers. Yes, I’m taking the rookie over Atlanta veteran John Abraham. I know Abraham ended up with 9.5 sacks, but 3.5 of them came against Jacksonville and rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Abraham was ordinary most of the season and was on the field for only 13 percent of Atlanta’s defensive snaps. Clayborn finished with 7.5 sacks. He also was on the field for about 80 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps, showed he can rush the passer and played the run well. Not much went right for the Bucs in the 2011 season. But they hit on their first-round draft pick.

Defensive tackle: Corey Peters, Falcons. He started in 2010, but was only a run-stuffer then. Peters emerged into a complete defensive tackle in his second season and showed signs he can generate a pass rush in the middle.

Defensive tackle: Brian Price, Buccaneers. Off the top of my head, I was preparing to go with Atlanta’s Jonathan Babineaux or New Orleans’ Sedrick Ellis. Then I looked at their statistics and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m going with Price, who quietly put together a nice season. He finished with three sacks and was one of the few Bucs who played the run well. More importantly, Price made a nice comeback from surgery on his pelvis and played through the pain of an ankle injury for most of the second half of the season.

Linebacker: Curtis Lofton, Falcons. In a year in which Carolina’s Jon Beason was hurt and New Orleans’ Jonathan Vilma slowed down, Lofton emerged as the NFC South’s best middle linebacker.

Linebacker: Sean Weatherspoon, Falcons. The second-year pro might now be the division’s best all-around linebacker. Weatherspoon is a playmaker and plays with an attitude that the rest of Atlanta’s defense needs to copy.

Linebacker: James Anderson, Panthers. With Beason and Thomas Davis going down early, Anderson was the bright spot in Carolina’s linebacker corps.

Cornerback: Jabari Greer, Saints. He often gets overlooked, but this guy is the best cover corner in the division.

Cornerback: Chris Gamble, Panthers. Gamble got benched by coach John Fox at the end of the 2010 season and his career appeared to be on the downside. But Gamble got a fresh start with coach Ron Rivera and bounced back with a strong season.

Safety: Malcolm Jenkins, Saints. He didn’t make as many big plays as I think he’s capable of, but Jenkins is an enormous talent. If the Saints can add a pass rush, the big plays will flow for Jenkins.

Safety: Thomas DeCoud, Falcons. He was benched briefly early in the season, but DeCoud seemed to get the message that he needed to play better. He finished the season with four interceptions and 86 tackles.

The Atlanta Falcons have hired Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator, the team just announced.

This is a very strong hire by Atlanta coach Mike Smith. Nolan’s a former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He spent the last two seasons as Miami’s defensive coordinator. He also previously worked as defensive coordinator for the Redskins, Jets, Ravens, Giants and Broncos.

I think it’s fair to say Nolan is an upgrade over former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, who left to become defensive coordinator at Auburn. Through most of Smith’s tenure, VanGorder’s defenses weren’t great, although the Falcons improved somewhat on that side of the ball in 2011.

Nolan has some good talent to work with in linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, cornerback Dunta Robinson and defensive tackles Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux. The Falcons also have to make decisions on if they want to re-sign defensive end John Abraham, middle linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback Brent Grimes.

This also is a victory in the NFC South for the Falcons. New Orleans reportedly had some interest in Nolan and at least one of the candidates who has interviewed for the Tampa Bay job had indicated he thought he could make Nolan part of the package.

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 7
Preseason Power Ranking: 6

Biggest surprise: When the Atlanta Falcons drafted defensive tackle Corey Peters in the third round in 2010, they didn’t envision him being much more than a role player early in his career. But Peters wound up starting as a rookie and showed he could play the run pretty well. Even then, the Falcons thought Peters would just be a run-stuffer. But he became much more than that this season. Peters showed he can also rush the passer. He recorded three sacks and he and fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux were able to create consistent pressure in the middle of the defensive line. Peters has locked up a starting job for the foreseeable future.

Biggest disappointment: This is the flip side to Peters. Defensive tackle Peria Jerry was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2009. But Jerry had a major knee injury in the second game of his rookie year. He came back last season and the team wanted to bring him along slowly, so they used Peters as the starter and Jerry as a situational player. After the 2010 season, coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff said they took that approach because Jerry’s knee wasn’t 100 percent healthy. Smith and Dimitroff also said they thought a healthy Jerry would emerge as a force in 2011. It didn’t happen. Peters remained in the starting role all season and Jerry played in a rotation, but produced only 10 tackles and zero sacks.

Biggest need: Left tackle has been a problem spot for this team for most of the time quarterback Matt Ryan has been with the team. The Falcons drafted left tackle Sam Baker the same year they drafted Ryan. Baker never made it to the elite level and really struggled at the start of this season. He eventually went out with a back injury and was replaced by Will Svitek, who has done an adequate job. But Svitek isn't the long-term answer at left tackle and it’s likely the team will give up on Baker. The Falcons traded away their first-round pick in 2012 to draft Julio Jones in 2011, so it might be difficult to find a top-notch left tackle in the draft. The Falcons may have to find a left tackle in free agency. But at the moment, the crop of free-agent left tackles isn’t loaded with talent.

Team MVP: At first blush, Ryan didn’t quite take the step to becoming an “elite quarterback’’ that so many people expected. The Falcons were supposed to have one of the league’s most prolific offenses and they were coming off a 13-3 season. As it turned out they had a good, but not great, offense and went 10-6. But when you look at Ryan’s numbers, you realize that he quietly had the best season of his career. His 4,177 passing yards and 29 touchdowns both were career highs and his numbers would have been better if Roddy White and Jones hadn't dropped a bunch of passes. Ryan still took a step in the right direction during the regular season. If he can get his first career playoff victory, he might cement his status as elite.

Fountain of youth: There were times last season when it looked like veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez had hit the end of the road. His average yards per catch dipped to a career low 9.4 yards. He rarely got open downfield or made anything happen after the catch. But Gonzalez, 35, bounced back this season. He averaged 10.9 yards per catch. He had 80 catches for 875 yards and seven touchdowns and was the most consistent player on the offense. Gonzalez played so well that he was signed to a one-year contract extension just before the regular season ended. Retirement -- and a spot in the Hall of Fame -- can wait at least another season.

The NFL just announced that Atlanta defensive end John Abraham has been named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week. This one should come as no surprise.

Abraham had one of the best games of a very good career in a 41-14 victory against Jacksonville. Abraham had 3.5 sacks that resulted in a total loss of 35.5 yards. He also forced two fumbles that resulted in 10 points for the Falcons.

The first fumble Abraham forced was recovered by linebacker Curtis Lofton and the Falcons turned that into a field goal. In the third quarter, Abraham forced a fumble that defensive tackle Corey Peters scooped up and took in for a 13-yard touchdown.

This is the fourth Player of the Week award in Abraham’s 12-year career. He won it twice while with the Jets and did it for the Falcons in the opening week of the 2006 season. Abraham is only the third NFC South player to win the NFC Defensive Player of the Week this season. The others were New Orleans safety Roman Harper, who won it twice, and Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber.

With very little fanfare, the Atlanta Falcons' defense has emerged as the best in the NFC South.

The Falcons rank No. 9 in overall defense. They’re fourth against the run and No. 17 against the pass. It also appears as if injured cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) are on the verge of returning to the lineup. They could be back as soon as Monday night’s game with the New Orleans Saints.

ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Jon Gruden said he thinks the Atlanta defense is one of the league’s best-kept secrets.

“If they get healthy in the secondary, I think that's a starting point for the Falcons,’’ Gruden said in a recent conference call with the national media. “But look, I'm really impressed with the tapes I've seen of the Falcon defense. They have a lot of guys that are considered unknowns in football outside of John Abraham, maybe [Curtis] Lofton, but this secondary is for real. If they get healthy, they can make plays. Mike Smith and [Brian] VanGorder do a great job together putting together weekly game plans to take away what you do best.’’

Heck, I'll even throw in a few more names Gruden didn't mention. I think second-year outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has emerged as a big-play guy and Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux form a very nice tandem in the middle of the defensive line.

ATLANTA -- Fourteen games into the season, the Atlanta Falcons finally played how they were supposed to play.

They looked like the trendy Super Bowl pick they were back in the preseason. They played with the “explosiveness’’ coach Mike Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff talked about so much in the offseason. They were explosive on both sides of the ball -- and even on special teams -- and played the closest thing they have all season to a perfect game.

That resulted in a 41-14 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome.

Granted, Jacksonville is not a good team, but we saw the first real signs that Atlanta can be a truly good one.

“That’s what we need,’’ said quarterback Matt Ryan, who completed 19 of 26 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns. He also posted a 137.3 NFL passer rating, the second highest of his career. “But I still think we can be a lot better.’’

Maybe so. However, the Falcons were a lot closer to being a strong all-around team than they have been all season, and that's encouraging. At 9-5, the season had been marked by inconsistency and it never really seemed like the Falcons were meeting expectations.

Expectations ticked upward when Roddy White said the Falcons’ offense would be “The Greatest Show on Turf’’ and free-agent defensive end Ray Edwards referred to himself as the “missing link.’’

But White, Edwards and others were missing at times earlier in the season. Recently, though, there had been signs that things were coming together.

What we saw Thursday night went beyond just a few flashes. What we saw was the team Smith and Dimitroff envisioned when they traded up in the draft to get receiver Julio Jones, and went out and signed Edwards to a big contract.

The downfield passing game, which had come on a bit in recent weeks, really clicked. White and Jones each made deep catches. White finished with 10 receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns, and Jones had five catches for 85 yards and a touchdown.

“When you take shots downfield, you’ve got to just keep taking them,’’ Ryan said. “It’s like a shooter in basketball. Even if you’re not making the shots, you keep taking them because they’re going to come.’’

The offensive numbers could have been even more inflated, but Smith began pulling some of his starters late in the third quarter. Heck, the defensive statistics could have been even better, but they were pretty darn good.

Veteran defensive end John Abraham, the guy the Falcons wanted to help when they signed Edwards, had one of the best games of what has been a very impressive career. Abraham pretty much dominated the game.

He sacked rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert 3.5 times and forced two fumbles. Abraham’s first forced fumble came when he sacked Gabbert with 46 seconds left in the first half. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton recovered, and the Falcons kicked a field goal to take a 27-0 halftime lead.

Abraham repeated the feat on Jacksonville’s third play of the third quarter -- only that Gabbert fumble was picked up by defensive tackle Corey Peters, who rumbled 13 yards for a touchdown.

“John Abraham had a monster night,’’ said Smith, who clinched his fourth consecutive winning season for a franchise that never had back-to-back winning seasons before his arrival.

Abraham had plenty of help. He shared a sack with Edwards, who also was credited with a quarterback hurry; reserve defensive end Kroy Biermann added a sack.

The Falcons were able to generate so much pressure on Gabbert with their front four that they seldom bothered to send blitzers. Having extra players in coverage was a big reason Gabbert had only 24 passing yards in the first half, and finished with 141 yards and an interception.

“[Gabbert] holds the ball a lot,’’ Abraham said.

Abraham took the ball out of Gabbert’s grasp, and the defense came awfully close to pitching a shutout. Jacksonville’s first touchdown came on a blocked punt in the third quarter, and its only offensive touchdown came with 59 seconds left, long after many of Atlanta’s defensive starters were out of the game.

“We played well on all cylinders,’’ Abraham said. “But I wouldn’t consider it a complete game. I’d consider it a good confidence-builder.’’

That confidence and the consistent play across the board could come in very handy. The Falcons don’t have to play again until the night after Christmas. That game is at New Orleans, and the Falcons have to win it to have any chance at becoming the first team in history to win NFC South titles in back-to-back seasons.

Smith set off a minor celebration after the game when he told the players they don’t have to practice again until Tuesday.

“Four or five days off couldn’t come at a better time,’’ Ryan said.

The break might also allow the Falcons to get injured cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) back on the field. Having a fully healthy secondary could be crucial against the pass-happy Saints, who defeated the Falcons in overtime in their Nov. 13 meeting in Atlanta.

That loss hit the Falcons hard, coming as it did against a Saints team with which they have kindled one of the league’s top rivalries in recent years.

But the Falcons will get another shot at the Saints. This time it comes when the Falcons seem to be playing up to their potential, and they should be rested and healthy.

“That’s the advantage of a short week,’’ Smith said. “You get a long week after it. That will give us time to prepare for a team that’s playing as well as any team in the league.’’

ATLANTA -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons’ 41-14 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night at the Georgia Dome:

What it means: The Falcons are 9-5 and very much in the playoff picture. They won with ease and might have put forth their most complete game of the season. There were explosive plays in the passing game and from the pass rush and it all came together in a short week. The best news of all might be that the Falcons can build off this performance because they’ll have a few extra days to get ready for their next game, which might be the biggest game of the season (see below). With the big lead, coach Mike Smith began resting some of his starters late in the third quarter. The extra time off might allow the Falcons to get injured cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) back in the lineup.

Throwback game: Defensive end John Abraham is 33 and, because he came into the game with just five sacks on the season, there was some talk that age was catching up to him. But Abraham showed he’s got something left in the tank. He had 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and was a major reason Jacksonville couldn’t get anything going in the passing game. Abraham had plenty of help. Defensive tackle Corey Peters and defensive end Ray Edwards also were productive in the pass rush.

Milestone time: Atlanta’s Roddy White went over 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth consecutive season, a franchise record. White also became just the eighth receiver in NFL history to have five straight 1,000-yard seasons with at least 80 catches in each season. White started slowly this year, but has come on strong lately. He caught two touchdowns against the Jaguars and now has at least one touchdown catch in each of the past four games.

What I liked: The Falcons were consistently good throughout the game. I don’t think you could say that about their previous 13 games.

What I didn’t like: Rookie punter Matt Bosher was having a good game, until he had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Troubling trend: Running back Michael Turner was held under 100 rushing yards for the fourth consecutive game. Since his arrival in Atlanta in 2008, Turner has had only one other four-game stretch in which he failed to reach 100 yards.

What’s next: The Falcons play the Saints in a "Monday Night Football" game in New Orleans on Dec. 26.

ATLANTA – The Falcons hold a 27-0 lead on the Jacksonville Jaguars at halftime. Let’s run through some observations on the first half.

• The Falcons were extremely efficient on their first offensive drive. Matt Ryan completed all four of his pass attempts for 57 yards and capped the drive with a touchdown pass to Julio Jones. It was the 90^th touchdown pass of Ryan’s career.

• The pass rush, which hasn’t been a point of pride most of the season, looked pretty good early in the game. John Abraham sacked Blaine Gabbert on Jacksonville’s first offensive play. Defensive tackle Corey Peters had a sack that was negated by a penalty. Abraham forced a Gabbert fumble late in the second quarter with yet another sack. Linebacker Curtis Lofton recovered the fumble to set up an Atlanta field goal at the end of the half. Abraham now has seven sacks on the season.

• Rookie punter Matt Bosher struggled early in the season. But the Falcons stuck with him and that’s starting to pay off. Bosher has been kicking better recently. He got off a booming punt early in the second quarter that was muffed by Jarett Dillard. Sean Weatherspoon recovered the ball at Jacksonville’s 5-yard line and Michael Turner scored on the next play.

• Cornerback Brent Grimes missed his third consecutive game after having what the team described as minor knee surgery. But Grimes is on the sidelines in street clothes and appears to be walking well. The Falcons, like a lot of teams are pretty guarded about injuries, but I’m guessing there’s a decent chance Grimes could return for the next game, Dec. 26 in New Orleans.

• Peters suffered a knee injury sometime in the first half. He left the game briefly, but returned.

• Receiver Roddy White caught a touchdown pass late in the second quarter. White now has a touchdown catch in each of the past four games.

We’re going to start off our midseason All-NFC South team with the defense. That’s an area where NFC South teams have not excelled this season. But there have been some strong individual performances.

Let’s take a look:

Defensive end: Charles Johnson, Panthers. Carolina gave Johnson a six-year, $72 million contract at the end of the lockout. Unlike the rest of Carolina’s defense, Johnson hasn’t disappointed. He has seven sacks, including one in each of his last three games.

Defensive end: Will Smith, Saints. He missed the first two games while serving a suspension, but Smith stepped right back into the lineup and made a strong impact. He has 4.5 sacks and also plays the run better than most defensive ends.

Defensive tackle: Brian Price, Buccaneers. Very quietly, Price has been one of the league’s most amazing stories. He missed much of his rookie year with an injury and had surgery in which screws were inserted to keep his pelvis in place. The Bucs weren’t even sure they’d have Price for the first half of the season. But he’s been starting and playing consistently well.

Defensive tackle: Corey Peters, Falcons. Atlanta’s coaches were thinking 2009 first-round draft pick Peria Jerry was finally healthy and ready to claim a starting spot at the start of the season. But Peters, who was mainly just a run stuffer last season as a rookie, has expanded his game. He’s shown signs he can generate pressure on quarterbacks and he’s held onto his starting job.

Linebacker: Sean Weatherspoon, Falcons. In his second season, Weatherspoon is emerging as a playmaker. He has excellent quickness and plays the run very well. But Weatherspoon also has been making plays on blitzes and in pass coverage.

Linebacker: James Anderson, Panthers. With Thomas Davis and Jon Beason lost to season-ending injuries, Anderson has been the bright spot of the linebacker corps.

Linebacker: Curtis Lofton, Falcons. With Beason out and New Orleans’ Jonathan Vilma slowed by a knee injury, Lofton has emerged as the best middle linebacker. He’s also the quiet leader of an Atlanta defense that has started to show signs it can become pretty good.

Cornerback: Jabari Greer, Saints. He doesn’t get nearly the attention he deserves, but Greer is the best cover corner in the NFC South. If he could produce some interceptions, he could become a legitimate Pro Bowl candidate.

Cornerback: Brent Grimes, Falcons. He gets the nod over Tampa Bay’s Ronde Barber and Carolina’s Chris Gamble. In the past, a lot of people talked about Grimes’ lack of size. That’s really not an issue any more because Grimes compensates with his athletic ability and teams that try to pick on him get burned.

Safety: William Moore, Falcons. He has only one interception, after making five last year. But Moore has turned into a solid all-around player. His tackling has improved a lot since last season.

Safety Malcolm Jenkins, Saints: He still hasn’t hit his full potential. But Jenkins has all the tools to become the best safety in the NFC South.

Let’s take a look at some statistical highlights from the Falcons’ 31-7 victory against Indianapolis on Sunday.

• Julio Jones caught three passes for 131 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Jones, who was targeted just four times, became just the third player since the start of the 2008 season to be targeted four times or less to produce at least 130 receiving yards and a touchdown in a single game. Patrick Cobbs did it in Week 6 of 2008 with three catches on three targets for 138 yards and a touchdown. Calvin Johnson did it one week after Cobbs with two catches for 154 yards and a touchdown on four targets.
• Jones also added 33 yards on two rushes to finish with 164 all-purpose yards.
• The Falcons have forced a turnover in 27 straight games. That’s the longest active streak in the NFL. The Falcons have scored 55 points off turnovers this season.
• Running back Michael Turner recorded his 46^th rushing touchdown since joining the Falcons in 2008. Turner is two rushing touchdowns shy of Gerald Riggs’ franchise record.
• Matt Ryan finished with a season-high 120.7 NFL passer rating. In his career, the Falcons are 18-0 when Ryan’s passer rating is 100 or higher.
• Atlanta’s defense did not give up a point. The Colts’ touchdown came on the return of a Ryan interception. The Atlanta defense hasn’t allowed an opposing running back to rush for 100 yards in 11 straight games.
• Second-year defensive tackle Corey Peters was pretty much a run-stuffer as a rookie. But he’s becoming a pass-rusher this year. Peters had a sack for the second straight week and has three for the season.
• Kicker Matt Bryant extended his franchise record for consecutive made field goals to 28.
• Rookie punter Matt Bosher, who struggled early in the season, had perhaps his best game. Bosher had a 45.9-yard gross average (43.1 yards net) on seven punts. He also put three punts inside the Colts’ 20-yard line.

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

The Falcons thought a healthy Peria Jerry would take the starting job from Corey Peters at defensive tackle this season. That hasn’t happened. That’s largely because Peters has improved his game. As a rookie last season, he was purely a run-stuffer. But Peters is showing signs this year that he can help generate a pass rush.

Carolina’s Cam Newton and Minnesota’s Christian Ponder spent much of the offseason working out together in Florida. On Sunday, they’ll be competing against each other. Newton already has won a game against another quarterback also taken in the first round of this year’s draft. That was Jacksonville’s Blaine Gabbert.

New Orleans coach Sean Payton said the team likely will activate running back Chris Ivory to the regular roster if Mark Ingram (bruised heel) can’t play Sunday. Ivory was the Saints’ leading rusher last year, but hasn’t played this season as he recovered from injury. Must be nice to have that kind of depth.

The Bucs don’t have the same kind of depth as the Saints in the backfield. But coach Raheem Morris said he’s confident starter LeGarrette Blount will be ready to return after this week’s bye. Blount missed the past two games with a knee injury.

D. Orlando Ledbetter has an interesting stat: The Falcons play seven of their final nine games in domes. It could turn out to be eight because Houston has a retractable roof. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan has a league-best 81.2 winning percentage in games he’s started in domes.