match-up of 6-2 teams, and the first meeting of the top two quarterback picks of the 2008 draft, in Ryan and Joe Flacco. Ryan set career highs for attempts and completions, going 32 for 50, and clinching the Falcons' first 7–2 record since the 1998 Super Bowl season. The Falcons secured their third straight winning season, a franchise first, with a win over St. Louis (34–17), and a victory in a highly anticipated game with the Green Bay Packers (20–17), which was a close game all the way up to the end, when kicker Matt Bryant sealed the game with a 47-yard field goal with 13 seconds on the clock, bringing the Falcons to an NFC-best 9–2 record. The next week the Falcons defeated their divisional rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28–24, improving their record to an NFC best 10–2. Week 14 saw the first of two late-season matchups with the struggling Carolina Panthers. The Falcons got up 14-0 early in the game and went on to cruise to a 31–10 victory, raising their record to an NFC-best 11–2. Week 15 took the Falcons to the Northwest against the Seattle Seahawks. After a quick start by the Seahawks, the Falcons took control with a key touchdown pass late in the first half and a fumble recovery for a touchdown on the Seahawks' first possession of the second half to go up 24–10, eventually winning 34–18. The win (followed by a Giants loss) secured a playoff berth for the Falcons with two games left. With only one win needed in the final two games to clinch everything, Week 16 set up a Monday Night showdown with the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. A low-scoring affair ended with the Saints pulling out a 17–14 win. Week 17 brought in the struggling Carolina Panthers and an easy win for the Falcons, 31–10. The victory clinched the NFC South Division title (only their fourth division title in the team's history) and clinching home-field advantage in the playoffs by claiming the number one seed in the NFC. However, their season had a disappointing end, with the Falcons suffering a loss at home in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers by a margin of 48–21. 2011 In 2011, Atlanta finished 10-6 and earned the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs. The Falcons failed to get out of the first