JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 113 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL game but the Falcons fell in the 2008 preseason opener 20-17.
But the mood was still positive on this evening of firsts for the Falcons who just one season ago opened the year with a new head coach, a new starting quarterback and the hope of shocking the world in 2007.
The team carried a similar script Saturday but how times have changed. This game was about new beginnings and the return of last-second excitement.
Ryan, the third-overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft led five drives in the first half and finished 9-of-15 passing. The 6-foot-4 quarterback stood tall in the pocket behind an offensive line that did not allow a sack until inside the two-minute warning.
"I felt pretty good after the second series I was in there," he said. "In the first series, I was a bit nervous. I settled down – did some good things and some bad things – but got more comfortable as I went along."
His lone touchdown pass was a 25-yard strike to Roddy White with 10:55 remaining in the first half. White slipped behind the defense on the play and caught the pass as he twisted his body into the end zone.
“It was good to go against players other than your teammates," White said at halftime. "We had a double post and Matt threw me a good ball. It was a good touchdown for us and we got off to a good start.”
Despite starting a rookie cornerback (Chevis Jackson) and three second-year players (Brent Grimes, Jamaal Anderson and Tony Taylor), the Falcons first-team defense performed well against a team with a mobile quarterback and solid rushing attack.
"(David) Garrard likes to run a little bit and we need to contain him on the pass rush," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "We can’t allow him to run down field. Getting off the field after their first drive was key. All in all, I thought it was a great first step.”
Maurice Jones-Drew and Gregg Jones combined for 62 yards on the ground. New Falcons running back Michael Turner answered with 22 yards (4.4-yard per carry average).
“It was pretty good," said Turner, who is taking on feature back responsibilities after spending four years as LaDanian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego. "We’ve still got to work out some kinks here and there. We need to try to eliminate the penalties. If felt great to finally start the 2008 season.”
"I thought Michael Turner did a great job," added quarterback Chris Redman, who started and led the offense on the first two drives of the game. "We kind of got backed up a little bit and he helped us get out of there. I threw some good balls but they made some good defensive plays. It was a good start and it felt good to be out there playing against someone else.”
The Jaguars took a 10-7 lead into the locker room but that was the extent of the home team's advantage. The Falcons and Jags were strikingly balanced in the first 30 minutes.
"We’ve been hitting each other for the last two weeks," veteran safety Lawyer Milloy said. "It was a good testament to see where we are at this point in the season... The first two series were good. The last series we gave up a touchdown and that’s never good. We’ve obviously got some work to do, but we’re a young team and we have to keep going.”
Quarterback Joey Harrington stepped in for Ryan in the second half and led two scoring drives. The veteran's 1-yard quarterback sneak for a score helped tie the game at 17 with just more than a minute to play in the third quarter.
Jacksonville answered with a drive of its own led by third quarterback Todd Bouman. The Jaguars took a 20-17 lead with less than 10 minutes to play after a Josh Scobee field goal. D.J. Shockley entered the game for the Falcons with 9:19 remaining but the offense went three-and-out.
The Birds were 4-of-16 on third downs in the game.
A forced fumble and recovery by rookie Kroy Biermann gave the Falcons new life with 7:26 remaining but the Falcons offense didn't convert. Shockley pushed the team into Jaguars territory but a 54-yard field goal try by Jason Elam came up short.
But it was the final drive of the game that proved pivotal for the Falcons. Shockley's 17-yard scramble with 36 seconds remaining set the Falcons up inside the 5-yard line but a third-down pass into the end zone was intercepted.
“It didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to," Head Coach Mike Smith said. "Of course when you come down and football game, you want to win. I told the guys in (the locker room) that we are not into moral victories. I thought our guys play hard and with passion. There were some really good plays and I think there was some play that we have to get some corrections on. Until we get a chance to watch the film and really get a chance evaluate it, it’s really going to be hard to pinpoint the areas that we are going to have to work on.”
The Falcons continue the preseason at home next week against the Indianapolis Colts.
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-JAGUARS GAME:
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete game coverage from AF.com
- GAME RECAP: Ryan solid in debut but Birds fall
- QUOTABLE: Comments from players and coaches following the game
- GAME NOTES: News and injury updates from the press box
- FALCONS LIFE: Discuss the game on the message boards
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith
- J. MIKE'S BLOG: Quarter updates and behind-the-scenes news from J. Michael Moore
- NFL NETWORK: Ryan's TD Pass | Ryan Highlights | Game Highlights
