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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

Soon after news of the New Orleans Saints’ bounty program broke, the NFL asked all 32 teams to sign a pledge that they would never run a bounty program. Part of the agreement also urged teams to promote player health and safety and do it beyond their own buildings.

The Atlanta Falcons appear to be the first team to be stepping forward publicly on this initiative. The Falcons announced they will team up with the NFL to hold a health and safety forum April 19 at 6 p.m. at Wynbrooke Theme School in Stone Mountain, Ga.

Team president and CEO Rich McKay, fullback Ovie Mughelli, kicker Matt Bryant, wide receiver Kevin Cone, offensive lineman Andrew Jackson and former Atlanta linebacker Coy Wire will represent the Falcons. They’ll be joined by NFL medical personnel, several neurosurgeons and a representative from the Centers for Disease Control.

The panel will address safety matters facing youth athletes with more than 100 local parents, 60 youth football commissioners and coaches from around Georgia.

Here’s a link where you can learn more about the NFL’s efforts to promote health and safety at all playing levels.

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

• Reserve offensive lineman Andrew Jackson said new offensive line coach Pat Hill will bring passion to the Falcons. Jackson should know. He played for Hill at Fresno State.

• The Panthers signed long-snapper J.J. Jansen to a four-year contract extension. They also re-signed linebacker Jason Phillips to a one-year deal.

• Former Carolina Panthers defensive line coach Sal Sunseri talks about what he hopes to accomplish as defensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee. Sunseri had been the linebackers coach at the University of Alabama since leaving the Panthers.

• Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant lobbied Georgia legislators to educate young athletes, parents and coaches about the dangers of concussions.

• Here’s a look ahead at New Orleans’ situation at wide receiver in 2012. Interestingly, the speculation is that the Saints will keep their receiving corps pretty much intact. That might be a bit difficult from an economic standpoint since Marques Colston and Robert Meachem both are free agents.

• Roy Cummings addresses Tampa Bay’s perceived struggles in finding assistant coaches and says we don’t know that’s really the case. Good point. Yes, the Bucs have been blocked from interviewing some candidates from other teams. But we won’t know for sure about the quality of Tampa Bay’s new assistant coaches until the team announces its full list of new assistants.

Let's take a look at the top Wednesday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

• The New Orleans Saints apparently have completed the overhaul of their defensive coaching staff with the hiring of Andre Curtis as assistant defensive backs coach. Curtis worked with new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive backs coach Ken Flajole in St. Louis.
• Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant will speak to Georgia politicians Wednesday in support of a bill that would help provide information on concussion recognition and management to parents of young athletes.
• The Panthers reportedly have told their holders of personal seat licenses that they will not raise season-ticket prices in 2012. That should come as a bit of a pleasant surprise. Quarterback Cam Newton’s rookie season certainly raised the interest and excitement level among fans, but the Panthers aren’t going to try to capitalize on that at the box office.
• Although new Hall of Fame selection Chris Doleman spent most of his career in Minnesota, he did spend two seasons with the Falcons. One of them was a playoff season and Doleman said he has warm memories of his time with the Falcons.
• Jeff Duncan writes that it’s hard to call retiring running back Ricky Williams a bust, although his three seasons in New Orleans and sudden departure were not what the Saints expected when they drafted him in 1999.
• A Charlotte man recently found a Panthers’ playbook from the team’s lone Super Bowl appearance at a yard sale. He returned it to the team.
• Bill Lazor was mentioned Tuesday as a candidate to be Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator. But it now is being reported Lazor no longer is a candidate and will remain at the University of Virginia.

It’s time to unveil my All-NFC South team for the 2011 season. We’ll have selections for the offense, the defense and a post that includes division-wide honors and bests and worsts. The offense and defense will come later Tuesday and the honors and bests and worsts will come Wednesday.

But, for now, let’s start with the special teams.

Kicker: Matt Bryant, Falcons. He missed only two field goal attempts all season. New Orleans’ John Kasay also had a fine year. But if the game is on the line, Bryant’s the one kicker in this division I want on the field.

Punter: Thomas Morstead, Saints. If San Francisco’s Andy Lee didn’t have one of the best seasons ever by a punter, Morstead probably would have been in the Pro Bowl. He also does a nice job kicking off.

Return man: Darren Sproles, Saints. Was dangerous whenever he touched the ball as a running back, receiver or a return man.

Long-snapper: Joe Zelenka, Falcons. There’s probably a fair amount of you who have never heard of Zelenka. That’s one of the best things you can say about a long-snapper. It means he’s not making mistakes.

Holder: Michael Koenen, Buccaneers. I usually don’t include a holder on awards for special teams. But I’m making an exception here. It’s a rare chance to give Tampa Bay representation on the All-NFC South team. I’m still debating a couple spots on the offense and defense and it’s looking like Tampa Bay may have one or two other representatives or Koenen might be the only player from the Buccaneers.

Time to take a look at the top Saturday morning headlines from around the NFC South. Obviously, this will be heavy on the Saints and Falcons because they have playoff games this weekend.

Bob Marshall has a column about how Detroit fans are like New Orleans fans a few years back. New Orleans went through Hurricane Katrina and the Saints helped pull the city back together. Detroit has been through some difficult economic times but the Lions have given people something to rally around.

Jeff Duncan writes that the Saints can set themselves apart if the defense steps up in the postseason. No doubt, the New Orleans offense always will put points on the board. But the defense is going to have to make some plays along the way if the Saints are going to get to the Super Bowl.

The Saints said they’re prepared for Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. He didn’t play against them in the regular season because he was serving a suspension.

Largely due to the position he plays, Atlanta center Todd McClure doesn’t get a lot of attention. But that sometimes changes in the postseason. Here’s a very nice feature on McClure in The Wall Street Journal. I’m guessing the Giants’ defensive line doesn’t think the Atlanta offensive linemen read The Wall Street Journal.

Here’s a bit of good news for Atlanta fans. You don’t hear a lot about kicker Matt Bryant. But I can tell you he’s a very competitive guy who is motivated by perceived slights. Bryant started his career with the Giants, but was cut soon after the arrival of coach Tom Coughlin. Keep that in mind if Sunday’s game comes down to a Bryant kick because I can assure you that will be on Bryant’s mind.

Atlanta wide receiver Harry Douglas has a brother, Toney, who plays for the New York Knicks. Toney Douglas will be at MetLife Stadium on Sunday to watch is brother.

The Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly interviewed Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski for their job as head coach. Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey also has been given permission to talk to the Jaguars. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers attempt to interview one or both of these coordinators soon.

Tampa Bay veteran cornerback Ronde Barber will have surgery on his fractured right arm, according to his brother, Tiki. After the surgery, Barber also will decide if he wants to retire or continue playing. Barber previously suggested he might retire if the Bucs fired coach Raheem Morris and they did. There’s no big rush here. Barber can wait to see who is hired as the new coach and decide if he wants to continue playing and if he fits into the plans of the new coach.

A quick reminder that the fan portion of voting for the Pro Bowl ends Monday.

Here’s the link to the ballot if you want to hit the polls at the last minute.

I won’t tell you who to vote for, but I’ll throw out some names I think are worthy of consideration. On offense, I’d think about New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, Atlanta running back Michael Turner, Carolina receiver Steve Smith, Atlanta receiver Roddy White, New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham, Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez, Carolina tackle Jordan Gross, New Orleans guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans and Carolina center Ryan Kalil.

On defense, I’d consider Carolina defensive end Charles Johnson, Atlanta defensive end John Abraham, Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, Atlanta linebackers Sean Weatherspoon and Curtis Lofton, New Orleans cornerback Jabari Greer and New Orleans safety Malcolm Jenkins.

On special teams, I think New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead, Tampa Bay punter Michael Koenen, Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant and New Orleans return man Darren Sproles are worth considering.

ATLANTA – Since the Atlanta Falcons were the only NFC South team to get a win (a 23-17 victory against Tennessee) on Sunday, they’re the only team that will get a list of statistical superlatives Monday.

Here it is:

• Since coach Mike Smith arrived in 2008, the Falcons are 11-3 against AFC opponents.

• Since 2008, the Falcons are 23-6 in the Georgia Dome. Only New England and Baltimore have won more home games in that span. The Patriots and Ravens each have won 24 times.

• Atlanta’s 432 yards of total offense tied for the team’s second-best output of the season. The Falcons also had 432 yards against the Colts in Week 9.

• The defense held Tennessee’s Chris Johnson to just 12 yards on 13 carries. The Titans only had 41 net rushing yards. The Falcons haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 13 consecutive games, a streak that stretches back to last season. The Falcons are allowing 85.4 rushing yards per game this season.

• Tight end Tony Gonzalez continues to defy age. He caught his seventh touchdown pass of the season, which is a team high. Those seven touchdown catches are the most since Gonzalez had 10 in 2008, his final season in Kansas City. Gonzalez now has had at least seven touchdowns in seven seasons.

• Early in the second half, Gonzalez became the 13^th player in NFL history to pass the 13,000-yard receiving mark. He now has 13,024 career receiving yards. Gonzalez needs only 66 yards to pass Steve Largent to move into 12^th place on the all-time list. Gonzalez now has 14 seasons in which he has had at least 50 receptions. The only other player in NFL history to do that is Jerry Rice.

• Quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown at least one touchdown pass in eight straight games and has had at least one in 24 of his last 25 games.

• Ryan finished with a 110.9 NFL passer rating. Since his arrival in 2008, the Falcons are 19-0 when Ryan’s passer rating is at least 100.

• Ryan threw for 316 yards. That gives him back-to-back 300-yard games for the first time in his career. Ryan had a career-best 351 yards in last week’s loss to the Saints. Ryan has four 300-yard passing games this season. That ties Jeff George’s franchise record for a single season.

• The Falcons have won seven of their last eight games in the month of November. There's a lot to be said for piling up wins in November and December.

• Running back Michael Turner scored his eighth rushing touchdown of the season and has 47 since joining the team in 2008. Turner needs only two more rushing touchdowns to pass Gerald Riggs’ franchise record. Turner also has scored seven touchdowns in his last seven games.

• With his 24^th 100-yard rushing game, Turner tied Riggs’ franchise record. Turner has had five 100-yard games this season.

• Defensive end John Abraham recorded his fourth sack of the season. Abraham has 106.5 career sacks and has moved ahead of Trace Armstrong and into 18^th place on the NFL’s all-time list.

• After missing his first field-goal attempt since last season in last week’s loss to the Saints, Matt Bryant hit all three attempts Sunday. Bryant has made 18 of 19 attempts this season.

• The Falcons snapped a five-game losing streak against the Titans. Prior to Sunday, the Falcons hadn’t won against Tennessee since 1993.

We already have shown you the midseason All-NFC South teams for offense and defense. Now, let’s move onto the specialists and a few individual awards.

Kicker: Matt Bryant, Falcons. The guy has not missed a field-goal attempt this season. Over last season and this one, Bryant is 40-of-43.

Punter: Thomas Morstead, Saints. This was a very tough call because Tampa Bay’s Michael Koenen also is having a very nice year. But Morstead has better numbers. He has a 49.7-yard gross average and a 43.7-yard net average with five punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

Return man: Darren Sproles, Saints. He already made the team as a running back. But, if anyone deserves to be on the team twice, it’s Sproles. He’s doing a little bit of everything for the Saints.

Coach of the midseason: Sean Payton, Saints. He endured a sideline crash that caused major damage to his knee and leg. But Payton has the Saints at 6-3 and atop the NFC South.

Assistant coach of the midseason: Rob Chudzinski, offensive coordinator, Panthers. After years of watching John Fox keep handcuffs on coordinators Dan Henning and Jeff Davidson, Carolina fans are finally getting to see an offense that’s fun to watch.

MVP of the midseason: Drew Brees, quarterback, Saints. If you were hoping to see something outside the box, you’re not getting it. Brees is on pace to set the record for yards passing in a season. He also is making a strong case to take over Derrick Brooks’ place as the best player in the history of the NFC South.

Rookie of the midseason: Cam Newton, quarterback, Panthers. Several rookies, like Tampa Bay’s Adrian Clayborn and Mason Foster, Atlanta’s Julio Jones and New Orleans’ Cameron Jordan, are playing well. But none of them have come in and, on their own, changed the climate of a franchise. That’s what Newton has done.

General manager of the midseason: Marty Hurney, Panthers. He took what many thought was a huge risk when he drafted Newton with the top overall draft pick. Maybe it was a gamble, but Hurney won because he got a franchise quarterback.

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.

Let’s take a look at some statistical highlights from Atlanta’s 23-16 victory against Detroit.

• Tight end Tony Gonzalez moved into second place on the NFL’s all-time list for receptions. Gonzalez now has 1,104 catches. Only Jerry Rice (1,549) has more.

• Gonzalez also moved into 13th place on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list. Gonzalez now has 12,843 yards.

• Since coach Mike Smith took over in 2008, the Falcons now are 20-8 in games decided by eight or fewer points.

• Under Smith, the Falcons now are 28-1 when leading at the start of the fourth quarter.

• Quarterback Matt Ryan now has two rushing touchdowns this season. He had only two rushing touchdowns in his first three seasons.

• Ryan is now 26-6 in games played in domes. That’s an NFL best for quarterbacks since 2008.

• Ryan has thrown for at least one touchdown in 23 of his past 25 games.

• Michael Turner rushed for 122 yards and posted the 23rd 100-yard game in his Falcons’ career. Falcons moved past William Andrews, who had 22 100-yard games, into second place in team history. Gerald Riggs holds the record with 24.

• Kicker Matt Bryant set a team record by converting his 27th consecutive field-goal attempt, dating back to 2010. The previous record (26) was held by Norm Johnson.

• The Falcons have forced on turnover in 26 straight games. That’s the longest active streak in the NFL.

• Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton had 10 tackles. That’s his fifth double-digit-tackle game of the season and the 24th of his career.

• The Falcons have not allowed an individual running back to rush for 100 yards in a game in 10 consecutive contests, dating back to last season.

Let’s take a statistical look back at Atlanta’s 31-17 victory against Carolina with some help from ESPN Stats & Information and the Falcons’ media relations department.

• Atlanta’s Michael Turner usually is thought of as a between-the-tackles runner, but the numbers are showing that’s a myth. Against Carolina, Turner ran outside the tackles 13 times for 105 yards (8.1 yards per carry). Between the tackles, Turner ran 14 times for 34 yards (2.4 yards per carry). This is not a new trend. Turner entered the day averaging 5.6 yards per carry outside the tackles, while averaging 4.1 yards per rush between the tackles.

• The Falcons scored 30 or more points for the third time this season. They’re 3-0 in those games.

• Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez now is No. 4 in all-time receptions, but he could move up to No. 2 very quickly. Gonzalez has 1,099 catches. Cris Carter is No. 3 with 1,101 and Marvin Harrison is No. 2 with 1,102. Jerry Rice is the leader with 1,549 catches.

• For the 15^th time in his career, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime. The Falcons are now 22-3 in home games in which Ryan has played.

• Atlanta coach Mike Smith is now 15-3 in games after a loss.

• Kicker Matt Bryant has made 24 consecutive field goals, dating to last season. That’s the second-longest streak in franchise history. The record is held by Norm Johnson, who made 26 straight in 1992 and ’93.

• Ryan finished with a 101.1 NFL passer rating Sunday. That was the first time this season he’s topped the 100 mark. For his career, the Falcons are 17-0 when Ryan has a passer rating of 100 or better.

• The Falcons came up with three turnovers Sunday. They now have forced at least one turnover in 25 straight regular-season games. That’s the longest active streak in the league.

• Defensive end Ray Edwards, who was Atlanta’s top free-agent signing, got off to a slow start, but is coming on now. Edwards recorded one sack Sunday, marking the second straight game in which he’s had a sack.

CHICAGO – One game into the season, the Atlanta Falcons have an identity they don't want.

“Sloppy ball,’’ linebacker Mike Peterson said. “We played sloppy ball.’’

That might be putting it kindly. A team that has spent the past three seasons winning with precise efficiency lost in a way it seldom has since Mike Smith took over as coach in 2008.

The Falcons spewed turnovers, failed to protect their quarterback and got very few of the big plays they talked so much about during the offseason. And that’s just the offense. The defense did such a poor job that if Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler put up those kind of numbers in his days with the Broncos, he’d still be in Denver and John Elway would be forgotten.

Throw in nine penalties for 65 yards and it all added up to a 30-12 loss to the Bears at Soldier Field in a game that was pretty much over during the second quarter.

“We’ve just got to make sure that doesn’t happen again,’’ cornerback Dunta Robinson said.

You can at least start to wonder if those predictions that had the Falcons going to the Super Bowl, or at least deep into the playoffs, were way off base. This team looked like it was one day out of the lockout or still caught in last season’s playoff loss to Green Bay.

Quarterback Matt Ryan threw an interception (that set up a touchdown) and Michael Turner lost a fumble -- and that was just in the first quarter. In the third quarter, Ryan lost a fumble that Brian Urlacher returned for a touchdown.

Smith always emphasizes the importance of the turnover battle and the Falcons usually win it. Not this time. They turned the ball over three times and generated only one takeaway -- an interception that went for a touchdown by defensive end Kroy Biermann in the fourth quarter, long after the game had been decided.

“You’re going to decrease your chances of winning,’’ Smith said. “We can’t do that.’’

When Biermann and kicker Matt Bryant, who made two field goals, are your most explosive players, it’s not a good thing.

Rookie receiver Julio Jones and free-agent defensive end Ray Edwards, the players who were brought in to help the Falcons become more explosive, didn’t have major impacts. Jones had five catches for 71 yards, but most of that came way too late. Edwards produced precisely one tackle. But let’s not pin all the blame on the high-priced newcomers, because the Falcons were collectively and uncharacteristically bad.

“Explosiveness is not just for the offense,’’ Smith said. “It’s for the entire football team. We want to be explosive in all three phases.’’

They didn’t even come close. After an offseason filled with talk about more downfield passing, it seemed like there was less than in the past.

“I thought Chicago did a good job of keeping things in front,’’ Ryan said. “There were (deep) plays called, but I had to check down.’’

“There were plays that were designed to go into the end zone,’’ Smith said. “I can assure you of that. If the read took (Ryan) down, then he’s got to go where the reads take him. We’ve got to win our one-on-ones.’’

That can be tough to do when you’re going against the Tampa Two defense that Chicago runs, and give the Bears, who were the No. 2 seed in the NFC last season, plenty of credit for playing a strong all-around game.

But the Falcons were the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season and it looked like they’ve taken multiple steps back.

“Not the outcome we wanted,’’ Smith said. “Disappointed, not discouraged. It’s a long season. It’s Week 1. We’ will work to get it fixed and we will get it fixed.’’

That might sound like lip service coming from just about any other coach. But Smith’s got a track record in this area that he can point to.

Last season, the Falcons went up to Pittsburgh and lost the opener in a game where they didn’t play very well. They bounced back to win 13 of their next 15 games.

“It’s the first week of the season,’’ Smith said. “There’s a lot of football to be played. Let’s not be saying the sky is falling. We didn’t play well. I know that we will get things fixed. We’ve got a great locker room. We’ve got a great group of men that work very hard and love to compete. We’ll come back and we’ll get things fixed.’’

Maybe Smith’s right and maybe the Falcons will recover just like they did after the Pittsburgh loss last season. It’s too early to say a disappointing performance means doom for the Falcons. That’s especially true in an opening week in which New Orleans and Tampa Bay, the teams viewed as the main challengers to Atlanta’s NFC South crown, also lost.

“You lose a game the way we did and you’ve got to come to work Monday expecting a very rough day,’’ Peterson said.

The Monday film session and the upcoming week of practice aren’t going to be a lot of fun. But Smith and his coaching staff fixed a lot of problems in a hurry last season, and it could happen again.

It almost has to. The Philadelphia Eagles and Michael Vick, who once was Atlanta’s franchise quarterback before an epic fall from grace, are coming to the Georgia Dome next Sunday night.

If the Falcons play against the Eagles the way they did against the Bears, we’re no longer talking about one game or one week. We could be talking about a long season.

CHICAGO -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' season-opening 30-12 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field:

What it means: One game doesn’t make a season. The Falcons showed that last season when they lost their opener at Pittsburgh and still went 13-3. But this one was troubling because the Falcons were totally dominated in just about every phase of the game. That's not good in any circumstances. But it's especially discouraging when you come into a season with Super Bowl aspirations.

What I liked: For really the first time in his star-crossed career, it looked as though defensive tackle Peria Jerry made an impact. Jerry was hurt early in 2009, his rookie season, and spent last season as a backup. The Falcons believe that his knee is now completely healthy and he can have a big season. Despite what was happening around him, Jerry got off to a decent start.

What I didn’t like: Just about everything except Jerry and kicker Matt Bryant, who made both his field goals. The defense gave up all sorts of big plays, and the offense made several uncharacteristic mistakes. Running back Michael Turner lost a fumble and Matt Ryan was intercepted and lost a fumble that Brian Urlacher took in for a touchdown.

No explosiveness: The Falcons spent the entire offseason talking about their desire to be more explosive. We saw very little of that, except for two sacks by John Abraham, one long throw to Tony Gonzalez and one long run by Turner. But that was about it. We didn’t see much of rookie receiver Julio Jones until he caught a 32-yard pass in the third quarter when the Falcons already were trailing 30-6. We also didn’t see much out of Roddy White or Harry Douglas, who also was flagged for a nonsensical unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the third quarter. Yeah, I know the Cover 2 is designed to prevent big plays and Chicago has some very good defensive talent. But these aren’t the 1985 Bears.

What’s next: The Falcons host a Sunday night game next week that will come with all sorts of storylines and attention. They host the Philadelphia Eagles. That means quarterback Michael Vick will be coming back to where he started his NFL career.

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

Bradley Handwerger writes that time in the spotlight at Alabama should help New Orleans rookie running back Mark Ingram be ready for Thursday night’s opener at Green Bay.

Mike Triplett writes that New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams welcomed his players back from the lockout with a video of last season’s playoff loss to Seattle. That game’s been mentioned more than a few times this season. Williams said he coaches with a chip on his shoulder and he wants his defense to play that way.

Former coach Jimmy Johnson said the NFC South is a two-team race between the Saints and Falcons, but didn’t pick a winner. Johnson also said he doesn’t expect the Bucs to match last year’s 10-win season.

Chris Vivlamore has a nice feature on how Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant handles pressure. This veteran has gone through some ups and downs, but he’s got his career on firm footing in Atlanta and has become the best kicker in the NFC South.

One of the storylines as the Buccaneers get ready to host Detroit on Sunday is how the Lions might have kept Tampa Bay out of the playoffs with a late-season win last year. But Eric Horchy writes that quarterback Josh Freeman said the team can’t afford to dwell on that game. That’s true, but I suspect coach Raheem Morris might have brought it up as motivation a few times.

The Bucs were without top cornerback Aqib Talib, who sat out that Detroit game with an injury. With Talib out, Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson had 10 catches for 152 yards. Although Talib sat out all four preseason games with a hamstring injury, he said he’s ready for Sunday and looking forward to matching up with Johnson.

The Panthers claimed cornerback Darius Butler off waivers from the Patriots. Carolina’s been looking for help at cornerback throughout the preseason. Butler’s worth a shot. He was a second-round pick in 2009 and briefly was a starter.