"Falcons wide receiver Roddy White doesn't beat around the bush.

As far as the Pro Bowl receiver is concerned, the playoffs start when the Falcons host Tampa Bay at the Georgia Dome on Sunday.

"We are in the playoffs right now," White said.

The Falcons are 5-5 with six games to play. If the playoffs started today, they would be on the outside looking in.

White has figured that the Falcons need to run the table to make a second consecutive trip to the playoffs.

"Win them all," White said. "We have to win. We can't have [any] more set backs. It's a six-game end-of-the-year deal.

"We have to go out there and win six games. If we go out there and win six games, we'll control our own destiny."

With Sunday's excruciating 34-31 overtime loss to the New York Giants, the Falcons dropped to .500 for the first time since the fourth game of last season.

"It doesn't feel good to be .500," right tackle Tyson Clabo said. "My middle school football coach told us one time that it's like kissing your sister. We just need to win some games and nobody will remember we were .500.""