Falcons

ATLANTA - A disconsolate Mike Smith watched the chip-shot field goal sail through the uprights, then walked slowly across the field, his head down, to shake hands with the other coach. Smith knew this loss was on him. John Kasay kicked a 26-yard field goal in overtime after the Atlanta coach decided to go for it on fourth down deep in his own territory yesterday, a decision that backfired horribly and handed the New Orleans Saints a 26-23 victory over the Falcons. "I know it will be scrutinized all week long," Smith said.

The Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife says 11 cliff areas across the state are closed to hikers because peregrine falcons are nesting nearby and humans could bother the birds. John Buck, a Fish and Wildlife biologist, said peregrines have been observed nesting at about 40 locations across the state but only 11 are located where there is a chance people could disturb them. Fish and Wildlife and Audubon Vermont workers are monitoring the sites. The sites will remain closed until Aug. 1, but where falcon pairs either do not nest or nest unsuccessfully, the sites will reopen sooner.

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Falcons had been waiting all season for a complete game. They finally got it. Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes in less than three quarters of work, John Abraham had 3 ½ sacks, and the Falcons clinched a fourth straight winning season with a 41-14 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars last night. "Hopefully we can play like we did tonight for the next couple weeks," Ryan said. This one was over by halftime. Atlanta (9-5) led, 27-0, when the teams trotted to the locker room, Blaine Gabbert and the shellshocked Jaguars (4-10)

Casey DeAndrade, East Bridgewater - The senior righthander tossed a one-hitter as the No. 19 Vikings (10-2) beat Abington, 8-0, on Tuesday. DeAndrade struck out 13, including the first five and last three batters he faced. Jason Gonzalez, Randolph - The senior went 3 for 4 with four stolen bases, giving him 93 for his career, as the Blue Devils beat Burke, 12-2, on Tuesday. Jamie Faber, Cohasset - Faber had three homers and seven RBIs on Tuesday as the Skippers (11-2)

ATLANTA — Bart Starr. Lambeau Field. Ray Nitschke. Titletown USA. Reggie White. Heck, they even named the Super Bowl trophy after Green Bay’s most famous coach. Yep, the Packers are just oozing with tradition. The Atlanta Falcons? Not so much. “We’re fairly new on the block,’’ said Roddy White, the Falcons’ Pro Bowl receiver. “We’re still trying to prove ourselves. You’ve got to go out there and win playoff games. That’s what this league is all about.’’ The Falcons (13-3)

ATLANTA - The New Orleans Saints shook off the hangover from a devastating loss. The Falcons are still trying to get over a much bigger setback. After waking to news that disgraced quarterback Michael Vick would have to serve nearly two years in prison for dogfighting, his one-time teammates in Atlanta trudged through another dismal performance in a lost season. With Reggie Bush watching from the sideline and reportedly done for the year, Drew Brees passed for 328 yards and three touchdowns and New Orleans gave its playoff hopes a boost with a 34-14 rout of the Falcons...

ATLANTA — In the end, the Falcons had a little more push. Roddy White made some room for himself and hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan with 20 seconds remaining as Atlanta, after squandering a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter, rallied to beat Baltimore, 26-21, last night. “If you like football, like intense football, that was it,’’ said Falcons coach Mike Smith, a former Ravens assistant. “That might have been the most intense game I’ve ever been involved with at any level of football.’’ The Falcons (7-2)

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Falcons made Vinny Testaverde look every bit like a 41-year-old quarterback. Michael Vick didn't look much better. Testaverde fumbled three times in the first 17 1/2 minutes, leading to two touchdowns, and the Falcons dealt New York another road loss, beating the Jets, 27-14, last night. Warrick Dunn rushed for 155 yards, breaking off a 65-yard run in the second quarter when the Falcons (5-2) were backed up on their 5. That set up a field goal for a 20-0 lead.

MASHPEE - There must be something in the water on Cape Cod this year. Mashpee joined neighboring Barnstable and island relative Nantucket by securing a playoff berth in last night's 16-6 win over South Shore League rival East Bridgewater last night in a battle of undefeateds. The berth is Mashpee's first in its 15-year history. "We dressed 28 kids tonight. There have been times we've had less than 22 kids in a practice," Mashpee coach Matt Triveri said. "All those kids in there are tough as nails.

Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff said yesterday the Falcons will try to trade the rights to quarterback Michael Vick . In an interview that appeared on the team's website, Dimitroff said, "With regards to Michael Vick, we've decided to seek a trade of his contractual rights to another NFL club. " Vick is currently in federal prison on felony charges related to dogfighting and is scheduled to be released in July. Vick has a contract that runs to 2013 and calls for him to receive a base salary of $9 million and a bonus of $6.43 million in...

By Matt Goisman, Globe Correspondent Somerville's infield committed three errors, and Cambridge's offense turned them into three unearned runs, giving the Falcons a 3-1 win over the Highlanders Wednesday afternoon at St. Peter's Field in Cambridge. Cambridge freshman Eric Sokol-Smith earned his third win of the season, while Somerville freshman Ryan Nolan lost his first varsity start. The Falcons entered the bottom of the fourth trailing, 1-0. Nolan already had breezed once through their lineup, using a lively yet accurate fastball to help retire all nine hitters...

Asante Samuel was willing to restructure his contract to play for the Falcons. "I wanted to be a Falcon, so we made it work," Samuel said. The Falcons gave up only a seventh-round draft pick Wednesday when they acquired the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback from the Eagles. The Falcons announced the trade after Samuel agreed to restructure his contract to a three-year, $18.5 million deal. His contract with Philadelphia called for him to earn $9.9 million in 2012 and $11.4 million in 2013.

SAN ANTONIO - Bentley's magic ran out. After staging come-from-behind victories over Holy Family for the East Regional title and top-ranked Wayne State in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Division 2 tournament, the Falcons hit a roadblock in a 77-62 loss to second-ranked Ashland (Ohio) in Thursday's national semifinals at Greehey Arena. Bentley (31-4), which overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to knock off Wayne State, got into a similar jam in the first half and showed hints of pulling off another miracle.

SAN ANTONIO - Lauren Battista kept the faith. Even when Bentley was looking at a 19-point deficit against top-ranked Wayne State with 13:38 remaining, the sophomore forward knew the fifth-ranked Falcons would find a way to overcome the obstacle. Bentley's answer turned out to be a swarming press that forced 17 second-half turnovers during a 72-67 come-from-behind victory Tuesday at Greehey Arena in the Division 2 national quarterfinals. "We have so much confidence in each other," said Battista, who led the Falcons with 18 points and nine rebounds.

WORCESTER - A two-handed slam by Danvers' 6-foot-7-inch George Merry with under one minute to play solidified a 59-47 Division 3 State championship win over St. Joseph Central at the DCU Center Saturday afternoon. The Falcons' state championship was their first in program history. "I can't even explain it because words wouldn't do it any justice," said Danvers coach John Walsh. "All year we thought we had the ability to get to this point, but we didn't know what was going to happen and a lot of things fortunately went our way. I can't describe it. " The...

Danvers' inside-outside combination of George Merry (22 points, eight rebounds) and Eric Martin (5 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists) proved too much for Wareham Monday afternoon as the Falcons ended the Vikings' perfect season and took home the Division 3 EMass championship, 68-45, at TD Garden. Wareham (24-1), which trailed, 30-22, at the half, started the third quarter on a 10-0 run, capped by a Darien Fernandez layup, to a take a 2-point lead with 6:30 to play in the quarter.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Cardinals have consecutive home playoff victories - 61 years apart. Kurt Warner opened with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald and connected with Anquan Boldin on a 71-yard scoring play as Arizona beat Atlanta, 30-24, yesterday before a raucous, towel-waving crowd. It was the franchise's first home playoff game since the then-Chicago Cardinals beat Philadelphia to win the NFL championship in 1947. "A lot of people coming into this game said we were the worst playoff team ever to get in," Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

ATLANTA - Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts looked more like themselves Thursday night. All it took was a trip to Atlanta. Manning threw three touchdown passes, Antonio Gonzalez had 105 yards receiving and the defending Super Bowl champions, after getting stunned with 10 quick points by the Falcons, rebounded for a 31-13 victory. Indianapolis (9-2) had struggled the past three weeks, losing twice and pulling out a lackluster win over Kansas City at home. The Colts' malaise carried over the first quarter at the Georgia Dome, with the Falcons striking for...

WALTHAM - Barbara Stevens went to the grease board at halftime, her fifth-ranked Bentley women's basketball team staring at a 12-point deficit against Holy Family in the NCAA Division 2 East Regional final Monday night. "I started diagramming some things on the board, and I put the marker down, and said, ‘this has nothing to do with X's and O's,' " said Stevens. The Falcons, in her words, were confused defensively, and tentative on offense. On the Dana Center floor, no less, where Bentley has been nearly unbeaten (27-1)

By Matt Goisman, Globe Correspondent Danvers senior George Merry scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds, leading the Falcons to a 68-45 victory over the Wareham Vikings in Monday's MIAA Division 3 State Semi-Final at the TD Garden. Danvers will play the winner of Tuesday's Whitin Christian-St. Joseph's semi-final for the state championship Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester. Down 30-22 at halftime, Wareham came out firing.