"Falcons owner Arthur Blank was hoping for a breakthrough for his team in the playoffs against the New York Giants on Sunday.

But after a gutsy first half, the Falcons were defeated in their first postseason game for the third time over the past four seasons.

After the 2008 season, they lost to Arizona in the wild-card round. Last season, as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, they were routed 48-21 by Green Bay at the Georgia Dome."