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Newcomers Eager To Make Their Mark

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By BOB BAUM

The Associated Press

Published: January 3, 2009

GLENDALE, Ariz. - One staged a remarkable one-season turnaround with a smooth, efficient rookie at the controls. The other emerged from a legacy of losing behind the ageless arm of a gunslinging veteran.

The Atlanta Falcons vs. the Arizona Cardinals was not exactly a predictable playoff pairing when the season began. Their wild-card matchup today is yet another example of the parity that prevails in the NFL.

"That's why the NFL is the most popular spectator sport there is," Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. "It's such a fun game, and it's such a great game to be around. Each year is a new year, and you can't really go by what the prognosticators say."

The Falcons (11-5) flew to Phoenix on Thursday to give them a day to acclimate to the desert. It's the first time all season Atlanta has not had a full week between games.

"The only thing that concerns us a bit is the recovery time," Smith said.

Arizona (9-7) had to make a quick turnaround twice in November. The first went well, the second not so well. The Cardinals won a Monday night game against San Francisco, then won at Seattle the following Sunday. But they lost at home to the New York Giants on a Sunday, then were blown out at Philadelphia the following Thursday, on Thanksgiving night.

The Falcons made a quick recovery from a 4-12 finish last season darkened by the legal troubles of Michael Vick and made worse by the abrupt resignation of Coach Bobby Petrino.

Smith was hired by General Manager Thomas Dimitroff, and the two set about transforming the dispirited team.

"When Thomas hired me, the first step in the process was we had to make some big decisions on the people we had on our football team," Smith said. "We let some very good players and some good men go. But we needed to move in a different direction."

The biggest need was at quarterback, and the Falcons drafted Matt Ryan out of Boston College in the first round. They could hardly have known how well that would go. Ryan turned in one of the best seasons ever by a rookie, earning him the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

"You've got to be really impressed, especially in this day and age," Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner said. "It's a whole different ball game, picking up the speed, understanding what's going on, understanding your offense, coming into a completely new offense, understanding that and then understanding what the defense is doing."

Don't expect Ryan to be overwhelmed by the playoffs, Warner said.

"What he's done this year has to impress you, and you have to say there must be something different about this guy," Warner said, "to do what he's done and accomplish this much. So why do you think he's going to take a step back in the playoffs?"

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