FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. _ On a day when temperatures touched the upper 60s in this suburban Atlanta outpost, Falcons players bounced around with a little extra pep in their step.
It had less to do with Wednesday's spring-like weather than the fact that the Falcons sit one victory away from the franchise's second Super Bowl appearance.
This is a team that has had cabin fever for 51 years.
But these players aren't concerned about the Falcons' Lombardi Trophy-less history _ not if the scene in the locker room before Wednesday's practice was any indication.
Former Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley and linebacker Philip Wheeler played Ping-Pong on one end of the room, and guard Andy Levitre beamed over the recent birth of his child at the opposite end.
Meanwhile in the middle of the locker room, players chastised interlopers who unknowingly tread on the team's logo on the carpeted floor (Protect This House?).
In other words, the Falcons had the same loose vibe the Carolina Panthers had 12 months ago. The only thing missing was Mike Tolbert's boom box.
