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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' 24-2 playoff loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

What it means: This was much more than just a loss. This was devastating for the entire Falcons organization. Yeah, give the Giants credit for winning the game. But give the Falcons plenty of blame for losing. This team had sent out a strong signal that the Super Bowl was the goal when it traded up to draft Julio Jones and signed free-agent defensive end Ray Edwards. The Falcons didn’t even come close to the Super Bowl. For the second straight year -- and the third time in four years -- the Falcons lost their opening playoff game.

When you have those expectations and those results, you can’t expect owner Arthur Blank to remain patient forever. Coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan never have won a postseason game. Their jobs aren’t in jeopardy -- yet. But everyone around them (assistant coaches, offensive linemen and receivers who can’t hang onto passes) is suddenly on the hot seat. This loss will prompt some changes in Atlanta.

Fourth-and-nowhere: Smith elected to go for it on fourth-and-inches twice when he could have kicked field goals. That didn’t work either time. Smith also failed when he went for it in overtime against the Saints during the regular season. Anyone notice a theme here? I think you’ll be reading a lot more about this in my follow-up column.

What happened to the offense? This was a legitimate question during the regular season, but it really showed in the playoff game. The Falcons have no offensive identity, no idea whether they’re a running or passing team. Against the Giants, they weren’t either; they simply were a terrible offense. That’s a far cry from those lofty expectations I mentioned above.

Big players make big drops: Atlanta receiver Roddy White led the NFL in drops during the regular season. He escalated that in the postseason. White dropped at least two passes, possibly three and maybe even four. I’m not sure how or why, but White went from being one of the league’s most sure-handed receivers in 2010 to a drop machine this season. I’m not saying White’s done in Atlanta by any means. But he’s getting up in age, he comes with a high price tag and it wouldn’t totally shock me if he’s dangled for trade in the offseason.

Total mismatch: Atlanta’s offensive line was totally destroyed by the Giants’ pass rush. Not surprising, really. The Falcons built this line for run -- not pass -- blocking. Ryan was bad, largely because he had no chance. The Falcons already had given up on Sam Baker at left tackle. Journeyman replacement Will Svitek got exploited and showed he’s not a long-term answer. The Falcons need to get a left tackle. Problem is, they won’t have a first-round draft pick (that went in the deal for Jones), and the list of left tackles coming available in free agency isn’t too promising. Remember what I mentioned about perhaps shopping White. Oh, and Joe Hawley doesn’t look like the answer at right guard.

What’s next: An offseason of change at the Falcons’ Flowery Branch facility. This team has a ton of talent, and it won’t be blown up. But there will be significant tweaks in different areas.

ATLANTA – Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons’ 45-24 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

What it means: The Falcons are 10-6 and in the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons are in as the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs. They’ll play on the road against the winner of Sunday night’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. The Buccaneers ended their season in dismal fashion. After starting off 4-2, they lost their final 10 games and weren’t even competitive in most of those.

Momentum found: The Falcons bounced back nicely after a bad Monday night loss to the New Orleans Saints. Yeah, they were playing the Bucs, who might have become the worst team in the NFL, but the victory should create a positive vibe for the Falcons as they head into the playoffs.

Record Turner: Michael Turner broke Gerald Riggs’ team record for career rushing touchdowns with two in the first half. Turner now has 50 rushing touchdowns since joining the Falcons in 2008. Riggs set his record over the course of seven seasons. Turner also tied Riggs’ team record with his 25^th 100-yard rushing game since joining the Falcons. Too bad Turner doesn’t play for the Saints. Sean Payton would have kept feeding Turner the ball and given him a shot at a 500-yard day.

Roddy’s records: Roddy White became Atlanta’s all-time leader in receiving yards. He passed Terance Mathis’ previous record of 7,349 yards. White also had his 100th catch of the season. That makes White the first player to have two seasons of 100 or more catches.

Farewell, Jeff George: Quarterback Matt Ryan surpassed Jeff George’s 1995 record for passing yards in a season (4,143).

The Morris Watch: If Tampa Bay’s ownership hadn’t made a decision about the future of coach Raheem Morris before Sunday, another embarrassing loss couldn’t have helped his case. This game was over almost as soon as it started and it’s stunning to remember that the Bucs beat the Falcons in Week 3. As has been the case through most of the losing streak, the Bucs looked like a team with no direction. At some point in the next few days, the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs will have to break its silence and let the world know if they’re sticking with Morris or going in a different direction.

What’s next: The Falcons have to wait until the end of Sunday night’s game between the Giants and Cowboys to find out where they’ll travel to for the first round of the playoffs. The Buccaneers will get a top 10 draft pick and an offseason that’s sure to be filled with change even if Morris stays.

NEW ORLEANS -- Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 45-16 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

What it means: The Saints (12-3) clinched the NFC South, which means they’ll be one of the top four seeds in the playoffs. They still have a shot at going as high as the No. 2 seed, but they’ll need to win their finale and hope San Francisco loses. The Falcons (9-6) already are in the playoffs, but now they can’t do any better than the No. 5 seed. Also, New Orleans’ victory means that, once again, no team has won the NFC South in consecutive years since the division came into existence in 2002.

Record time: With two minutes and 51 seconds left in the game, Drew Brees made history. With a touchdown pass to Darren Sproles, Brees broke Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season. Marino had 5,084 yards in 1984. Brees came into the game needing 305 yards to break the record. He finished with 307 yards. Brees also threw four touchdown passes.

The Sproles factor: I might be overlooking someone, but I don’t think I’m too far off in saying Sproles was the best free-agent signing in the NFL this year. Sproles has made huge contributions as a runner, receiver and a return man. Early this season, I still saw some fans wearing Reggie Bush jerseys. I don’t think I’ve seen one in a couple of months.

The great debate: After watching the Saints absolutely dominate what had been a good Atlanta team for the past month or so, I think it’s fair to start talking about how the Saints match up with the Green Bay Packers. Remember, the Saints took the Packers down to the wire in the season opener at Lambeau Field. I know for certain the Saints are a better team now than they were in September. Yeah, you can bring San Francisco into the argument too, but that kind of waters things down. The Saints and Packers play great offense and a postseason game between them would be as exciting a game as you could ask for.

What I didn't like: From an Atlanta perspective, the way the Falcons lost this game had to be demoralizing. The Falcons had seemed to be on a roll in recent weeks. They’re already in the playoffs and they should have an easy finale. But the momentum Atlanta had built over the past month or so has been shattered. If they somehow end up facing the Saints again in the playoffs, that’s not a good psychological matchup. The Saints have defeated the Falcons twice already and that’s got to be in the heads of the Atlanta players.

What's next: The Saints host the Carolina Panthers in the regular-season finale on Sunday. The Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' 31-23 victory against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday:

What it means: The Falcons struggled early, but they did what they had to do. They got the win to move to 8-5 and that keeps their playoff hopes very much alive. This wasn’t particularly pretty, but a win is a win this time of year. But this game also showed that Carolina can play with just about anybody. The Panthers have been doing that all season and this was a chance to take the next step: beat a good team. But the Panthers squandered a big lead and showed there still is a lot of work to be done.

What I liked: Atlanta’s resilience. The Falcons were on the ropes, but they fought back. Quarterback Matt Ryan got another fourth-quarter comeback victory. He also finished with four touchdown passes.

What I didn’t like: Cam Newton's second half. The Carolina rookie quarterback was dynamic in the first half. But it sure looked like he was trying to do too much in the second half. He forced two throws that turned out to be interceptions.

What else I didn’t like: Carolina’s defense. It’s as bad as advertised. The Panthers started off playing pretty well on defense, but it didn’t last. That’s been a constant theme this season. I know the Panthers are without injured linebackers Thomas Davis and Jon Beason and defensive tackle Ron Edwards. Those guys would help a lot, but no one has really stepped forward to replace them.

O-line rebounds: Not sure if the credit goes to some dramatic halftime adjustment in blocking plans or if the Carolina defense simply folded, but Atlanta’s offensive line did a masterful job of protecting Ryan in the second half, after subjecting him to all sorts of pressure in the first half.

Julio’s redemption: Atlanta rookie receiver Julio Jones had been having a rough couple of weeks and Sunday was shaping up to be another one of those days. But Jones caught two second-half touchdown passes, including one that put the Falcons ahead to stay.

What’s next: The Panthers play at Houston next Sunday. The Falcons are home Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NEW ORLEANS -- Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory against Detroit on Sunday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

What it means: The Saints are 9-3 and closing in on an NFC South title (of course, the fact Atlanta lost to drop to 7-5 helped). More significantly, the Saints seem to be putting it together at the right time. Since an embarrassing loss to St. Louis on Oct. 30, the Saints have been very impressive in four straight victories. Their defense was especially good early on against the Lions. Receiver Calvin Johnson was held to two catches in the first half. The offense had pretty much put the game away by halftime. Speaking of the defense, I don’t think that it was any coincidence this performance came as middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the unquestioned leader of the defense, returned from a knee injury.

Weird stat of the night: Believe it or not, this was the third straight game in which the Saints, who are known for their prolific offense, did not score a touchdown in the first quarter. They scored only a field goal. Last week against the Giants, the Saints did not score in the first quarter. In a victory against Atlanta two weeks ago, the Saints had only a field goal in the first quarter.

Milestone night: In only his second year, tight end Jimmy Graham went over the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Graham is the first New Orleans tight end to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Redemption time: Second-year cornerback Patrick Robinson got beat on a pass to Titus Young as the Lions were driving late in the second quarter. But Robinson bounced back to block a field-goal attempt as the second quarter ended and the Saints went into halftime with a 24-7 lead.

Three in a row: The Saints clinched their third consecutive winning season. They now have winning seasons in four of coach Sean Payton’s six seasons.

Dome Patrol: The Saints are 6-0 at home this season. The only other time the Saints started off by winning their first six home games was 2009. Yep, that's the season when they won the Super Bowl.

What’s next: The Saints travel to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans at LP Field next Sunday.

Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons’ 23-17 victory against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

What it means: The Falcons did a great job of bouncing back from last week’s devastating loss to New Orleans. It was the kind of loss that could have sent their season into free fall, but that didn’t happen. Coach Mike Smith had his team ready, and the Falcons played one of their most complete games of the season. They’re 6-4 and only one game behind the Saints in the win column of the NFC South standings.

Roddy’s revival: One of the things that impressed me most about receiver Roddy White the previous three seasons was his uncanny ability to bounce back from a bad play. It used to seem like every time White dropped a pass or committed a penalty, he would respond with a huge play. It was almost like, after every mistake, White was saying to Smith, “Hey, I owe you one.’’ But, for reasons I haven't been able to figure out, it hadn’t been working that way at all this season. White came into the week leading the NFL in dropped passes (eight), according to ESPN Stats & Information. White wasn’t making up for mistakes by following up with big plays. But that finally changed Sunday. Early in the third quarter, White had a Matt Ryan pass sail right through his hands. Just a few plays later, White made a great over-the-shoulder catch for a 43-yard gain. The play also provided evidence that the Falcons actually might have a downfield passing game. White finished with a season-high 147 receiving yards.

Dunta’s big play: A lot of people have been suggesting the huge free-agent contract the Falcons gave cornerback Dunta Robinson last year wasn’t a prudent move. I’ve always taken a different point of view. Robinson hasn’t come up with a lot of interceptions, but I think his presence has helped the rest of the secondary. But maybe Robinson silenced a few of his critics by coming up with an interception in the first quarter that set up a field goal. It was Robinson’s first interception of the season and only his second since joining the Falcons. Robinson also had a nice breakup on a third-down pass in the fourth quarter.

Most impressive two-play stretch: With around 11 minutes left in the third quarter, Atlanta defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux batted down Matt Hasselbeck passes on two consecutive plays. I left Babineaux off the midseason All-NFC South team, largely because he missed three games with an injury earlier in the season. But Babineaux is doing a very nice job of re-establishing himself as the division's premier defensive tackle.

What’s next: The Falcons host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday.

ATLANTA -- Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints' 26-23 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

What it means: The Saints are 7-3 and firmly in control of the NFC South. The Falcons fell to 5-4 and the Buccaneers also lost to drop to 4-5. The Saints control their own destiny. They’ve already played Tampa Bay twice and have a Dec. 26 game with Atlanta. The Falcons aren’t out of the race yet, but they face an uphill battle.

What I liked: New Orleans’ defense. A lot of people say the Saints don’t have a good defense, and there has been plenty of evidence to support that this year. But not on Sunday. The Saints won this game largely because of defense on a day when Drew Brees and the offense weren’t putting up as many points as usual.

What I didn't like: When Mike Smith first decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches in overtime, I liked the call. I thought it was gutsy and ambitious. After watching Michael Turner get stuffed, I changed my mind. Smith should have punted and taken his chances with his defense.

What else I didn’t like: Roddy White’s game. He had a pass go off his hands that turned into a New Orleans interception. He also was flagged for two penalties away from the play. White’s been a bit off all season, but this was, by far, his worst game. White arguably was the best receiver in the league last year. This season, he hasn't even been close.

The Julio factor: Once rookie receiver Julio Jones left the game, it sure seemed like Atlanta’s offense became stagnant until late in regulation. That shouldn’t happen. Jones is a good player, but Atlanta has plenty of other talent at the skill positions and should be able to get by without him.

The Graham factor: New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham has been getting rave reviews all season. But Sunday showed Graham is still a work in progress. He had seven catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. But he also dropped two very catchable passes.

What’s next: The Saints have a bye next week. They’ll return to action Nov. 28 when they host the New York Giants in a “Monday Night Football’’ game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Falcons will host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Thoughts on the Carolina Panthers' 33-20 victory against the Washington Redskins at Bank of America Stadium:

What it means: The Panthers didn’t let this one slip away. The team that’s had problems holding leads until the end finally got it done. This was a significant win for the Panthers because the Redskins came in with a winning record. It also was significant because the fan base was starting to get a bit frustrated with moral victories. This was a real victory and a real stride for a young team.

What I liked: Carolina’s defense. It was far from perfect and the Panthers were going against John Beck, who entered the game with an 0-4 record as an NFL starter. But the defense, which had been hit hard by injuries, did some things it had not been doing, like getting the Washington offense off the field and making some big plays.

What else I liked: Cam Newton. This was the first time I’ve seen the rookie quarterback in person in game circumstances. He might be even more impressive in person than on television. I knew Newton could run and throw, but didn’t fully appreciate his arm strength, accuracy and ability to shrug off hits from defenders.

What I didn't like: The Panthers had successive plays at the end of the first half where Olindo Mare kicked the ball through the uprights, but the field goal didn't count. Mare got pushed back and finally was successful from 45 yards. But you can't get away with mistakes like that every week.

In the record books: Chris Gamble recorded the 25th interception of his career in the fourth quarter. That ties Gamble with Eric Davis for the franchise record.

Still going strong: Carolina receiver Steve Smith continues to look like the Smith of the middle of the last decade. He had seven catches for 143 yards and was full of energy. People talk a lot about how Newton has revitalized Smith. But it also needs to be noted that Smith is doing a lot to make the rookie quarterback look good.

What’s next: The Panthers host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Thoughts on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 26-20 victory against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium:

What it means: The NFC South race is closer than anticipated. The Saints had a chance to run away with it if they could have collected a third straight road victory. They didn’t. Tampa Bay played its most complete game of the season and earned this one. The Bucs and Saints each are now 4-2, and the Falcons are only a game behind them in the win column.

Play of the day: Tampa Bay linebacker Quincy Black intercepted Drew Brees in the end zone with three minutes and 16 seconds left to seal the victory for Tampa Bay. It’s not often you see Brees not succeed when the game is on the line.

Bizarre scene of the day: With the exception of Joe Paterno, you don’t see many coaches getting hit on the sideline. But New Orleans’ Sean Payton took a big shot in the first quarter. After catching a pass, tight end Jimmy Graham was forced out of bounds and collided with Payton. The coach spent much of the rest of the first half sitting on a bench with his leg elevated. He appeared to still be calling plays. At halftime, the Saints announced that Payton had a torn MCL and a fractured tibia. The team also said Payton would coach the second half in an upstairs booth with some of his assistants.

Who needs practice? Not Tampa Bay safety Tanard Jackson. He was reinstated Tuesday after being suspended for 56 weeks for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. He practiced Wednesday and Thursday, went through Friday’s light walk-through and got the start Sunday. Jackson intercepted a tipped Brees pass in the second quarter to give Tampa Bay’s offense good field position. Three plays later, the Bucs scored a touchdown to take a 20-7 lead.

What’s next: The Bucs play a “home’’ game with the Chicago Bears next Sunday at London’s Wembley Stadium. The Bucs will fly out Monday morning and spend the week practicing near London. The Saints host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday night at the Superdome.

ATLANTA -- Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' 25-14 loss against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night at the Georgia Dome.

What it means: There’s nothing to be ashamed of when you lose a close game to the defending Super Bowl champions. But it’s a completely different story when you lose at home after jumping out to a 14-0 lead in your own building and then get steamrolled. The Falcons had a chance to right their season. Instead, they’re 2-3 and in third place in the NFC South. With New Orleans leading the division at 4-1, the Falcons haven’t left themselves with much margin for error the rest of the way.

What I liked: The Falcons scored touchdowns on their first two possessions. They put together an impressive drive to start the game. They followed that up by getting a fumble recovery from Vance Walker (forced by cornerback Brent Grimes) and punched that in for a touchdown. Fast starts, lengthy drives, consistency and forcing turnovers were not a strong point for Atlanta in the first four games.

What I didn’t like: The offense didn’t do much of anything after that. That put a damper on what had been a very strong defensive performance most of the night.

Stat of the night: Despite the absence of defensive end John Abraham (hip injury) the Atlanta defense snapped its streak of three straight games without recording a sack. Ray Edwards, Atlanta’s top free-agent pickup, even got into the act and recorded his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter.

Injuries to note: Nickel back Chris Owens suffered what the team described as a head injury in the first half after making a jolting tackle on a Green Bay punt return. Owens did not return to the game. Kelvin Hayden took his place. Safety William Moore injured his shoulder in the first half and did not return. Veteran James Sanders took his place.

What’s next: The Falcons host the Carolina Panthers next Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

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.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A few thoughts on the New Orleans Saints' season-opening 42-34 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

What it means: It’s only one game, but this one was particularly painful for the Saints and could have implications that linger through the season. The defense was nothing short of horrible most of the night, and that’s a huge cause for concern. Yes, the Saints were playing the defending Super Bowl champions on the road, but they have to be better than this on defense if they hope to be more than an average team.

Missing Will Smith: With the defensive end suspended for the first two games of the season, the Saints generated virtually no pass rush. Rookie Cameron Jordan, Jeff Charleston, Junior Galette and Turk McBride weren’t expected to do it on their own. The Saints did try plenty of blitzes but didn’t have a lot of luck. Don't give the Saints too much sympathy on this one. They knew for months there was the chance Smith would serve a suspension but didn't do much to counter that.

Secondary issues: Second-year pro Patrick Robinson had a tough game as he took over the nickelback role. Strong safety Roman Harper had a rough night, and cornerback Tracy Porter didn’t tackle well. If you’re not getting any pressure and your secondary is struggling, you’ve got problems.

The bright spot: Running back/return man Darren Sproles was explosive as he made his New Orleans debut. He returned a punt for a touchdown, and looked good on kickoff returns and as a receiver out of the backfield. Sproles looks like an upgrade from Reggie Bush.

Whatever happened to Jimmy Graham? The second-year tight end was expected to be a focal point of the offense. He was barely a factor. But give Green Bay’s defense much of the credit for that. The Saints seemed like they were looking for Graham, but he rarely was open, except for a fourth-quarter touchdown that came too late.

What’s next: The Saints get another strong NFC North opponent Sept. 18. They’ll play the Chicago Bears, but that game will be in the Superdome.

ATLANTA -- I'm heading downstairs for interviews and will be back in a bit with much more analysis on the Atlanta Falcons' 48-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

What it means: A 13-3 season and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs were squandered in a loss to the No. 6 seed. Does that mean Atlanta’s season was a failure? No. But it was a disappointing loss for a team that seemed to be on the cusp of challenging for a Super Bowl title. The future still is bright because this team has a relatively young core, but this game exposed some very big flaws. The defense, which has spent the past two offseasons making many personnel moves that were supposed to be upgrades, will spend a third straight offseason looking to improve. Defensive end John Abraham is nearing the end of his career and the Falcons don’t have much else in the way of a pass rush. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers also exploited their lack of depth at cornerback.

Goat: Matt Ryan. He is the quarterback and that means he’s going to get too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they don’t. Put some blame on Ryan for this one. He threw two interceptions and remained winless in the postseason. But don’t put all the blame for this one on him. The defense was a much bigger culprit. You aren’t going to win very many playoff games when you allow more than 40 points.

What I didn’t like: The fact that Atlanta’s defense got totally destroyed. The Falcons thought they had turned the corner on defense. This one showed they’re not even close. This was the kind of loss that can force personnel moves and changes on the coaching staff.

What I liked: Atlanta fans, often accused of not being die-hards, showed up early and had the Georgia Dome rocking. The fans did their part, but their team did not. The crowd left early this time, but that is understandable.

Injury of note: Tight end Tony Gonzalez, who wasn’t much of a factor, hobbled off the field in the second half. We don’t know the nature of the injury yet. But it’s the end of the season, so that means you have to wonder if it’s also the end of Gonzalez’s career. He’s 34 and he’s hinted at retirement here and there.

What’s next: The Falcons begin an offseason of uncertainty. They’re scheduled to start offseason workouts in March, but the labor situation could result in a lockout. The Falcons also are scheduled to start training camp in late July.

SEATTLE -- I’m heading down to the locker room for interviews and will be back with much more. But, first, here’s Rapid Reaction on New Orleans' 41-36 loss to the Seahawks.

What it means: There will be no "Two Dat." The Saints went on the road to play a 7-9 team and didn’t look anything like defending champions. There were flaws scattered throughout the season, but they all showed up Saturday. Injuries were a factor, but far from the whole problem. The defense had an absolutely horrible game and the offensive line didn’t play well at all. Drew Brees couldn't pull off any miracles without a running game. Give the Seahawks credit for pulling off a huge upset. But put plenty of blame on the Saints.

Goats: Take your pick. Roman Harper, Darren Sharper, Gregg Williams, Julius Jones and Devery Henderson. They’re all candidates. Harper got burned repeatedly. Sharper looked like it’s time to retire. Williams couldn’t come up with a way to stop a mediocre offense and that might cost him a shot at head-coaching jobs. Jones lost a fumble and Henderson dropped a crucial pass in the fourth quarter.

What’s next: Assuming there is no lockout, the Saints will start training camp in late July.

NEW ORLEANS -- I’m heading downstairs for interviews and will be back with more later. But, first, a Rapid Reaction to Tampa Bay's 23-13 victory against the Saints.

What it means: At very least, the Buccaneers showed they can play with the big boys. The knock on them all season was that they couldn’t beat a good team. Well, scratch that off the list because the Saints are the defending Super Bowl champions and are headed back to the playoffs. The Bucs will have to wait to see what happens later this afternoon. They need the Giants and Packers both to lose to get into the playoffs. Even if they don’t get in, a 10-win season is far better than anyone expected from the Bucs, and a victory like this should send them into the offseason with lots of momentum.

What I liked: The decision by Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris and/or offensive coordinator Greg Olson to go for it, rather than attempt a field goal, in the third quarter. The call was for Josh Freeman to fake a quarterback sneak and, then, throw for the end zone. He did, and rookie Mike Williams went up and made the catch over Jabari Greer for a touchdown.

What I didn’t like: Even though Atlanta was blowing out Carolina and locking up the NFC South and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, the Saints kept their starters in the game. That came after safety Malcolm Jenkins, tight end Jimmy Graham, running back Chris Ivory and defensive end Alex Brown all were hurt in the first half. Brown was the only one of those three to return in the second half. The Saints had receiver Marques Colston, running back Pierre Thomas, tight end Jeremy Shockey and defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove inactive for this game due to injuries. The Saints finally pulled some of their starters in the fourth quarter, but they might have been exposed to injury longer than necessary. There might be some other bumps and bruises emerging after the fact and that could leave the Saints shorthanded for the playoffs.

What’s next: The Saints will enter the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. They’ll play on the road against the NFC West champions. The Bucs will begin the trip back to Tampa shortly, but you can bet they’ll be getting constant updates on how the Giants and Packers are faring.