ATLANTA -- Taylor Gabriel plays as if hes got something to prove.No surprise there.Hes one of the smallest guys on the field and couldnt even keep a job with the winless Cleveland Browns.Landing firmly on his feet in Atlanta, Gabriel turned a couple of short passes into long touchdowns that sparked the Falcons to a 38-19 victory Sunday over the plummeting Arizona Cardinals.The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Gabriel was cut by the Browns just before the season. That motivated him even more after he was claimed off waivers by the Falcons.Im shorter than all you guys here, he told reporters gathered around his locker, so I have to play with a chip on my shoulder. I have to play bigger than I am. I have to go out there and show people what I can do on a week-to-week basis.Gabriel scored on plays of 35 and 25 yards that showed off his speed. His second score , with just under 9 minutes remaining, finished off the Cardinals, who began the season touted as a Super Bowl contender but have been one of the NFLs most disappointing teams.I felt like they were running in slow motion, Gabriel quipped.The Falcons (7-4) began the day leading the NFC South and moved a step closer to their first playoff berth since 2012.We recognize the opportunity we have at hand, coach Dan Quinn said.The Cardinals (4-6-1) have lost two straight and three of their past four, putting them in danger of missing the playoffs after reaching the NFC championship game last season.Coach Bruce Arians was on the sideline after falling ill and being briefly hospitalized early in the week, but it did little to inspire his team.Theres not much you can take positive from this game, Arizonas Larry Fitzgerald said.Arizona got off to a strong start, burning the Falcons for eight plays of at least 13 yards on its first two possessions for a 10-7 lead.The Falcons surged ahead late in the first half when Matt Ryan tossed a screen pass to Gabriel, who picked up a couple of key blocks and outran everyone else to the end zone for his first score.Arizona cut it to 17-13 when Chris Catanzaro hit a 54-yard field goal on the final play of the half, the Cardinals taking advantage of an interception off a bobbled pass by Atlanta star Julio Jones.The Cardinals never got any closer.Tevin Colemans 2-yard touchdown run capped a 13-play, 77-yard drive that extended Atlantas lead to 24-13 late in the third quarter.Then it was Gabriel with the clinching score. He took another quick pass in the flat, sped down the left sideline and reached the pylon with a soaring dive.It was the kind of play that helped the Falcons counter Arizonas attacking defense, which came in ranked No. 1 in yards allowed.We felt his presence. We certainly felt his speed, Quinn said. When the other team wants to pressure and play aggressive, thats one of the weapons you use. Man, did he come up big for us.The Falcons finished with 360 yards, the most given up by the Cardinals since Week 1. No one has scored more points on Arizona this season.KEANUS HITAfter being fined for a vicious hit in Atlantas previous game, rookie safety Keanu Neal could be taking another blow to his wallet.Neal was penalized in the fourth quarter for unnecessary roughness against Fitzgerald.It looked as though both players lowered their helmets before making contact, but it was Neal picking up the flag.Neal was fined $24,309 for his helmet-to-helmet blow on Philadelphia receiver Jordan Matthews.INJURY REPORTArizona lost backup receiver John Brown to a hamstring injury, while Falcons defensive end Adrian Clayborn went down with a knee injury.Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was taken to the X-ray room at the Georgia Dome after the game, but it was apparently just a precautionary measure. He met with reporters at his locker and didnt mention any problems.Cornerback Patrick Peterson played the game with a sore left knee. He was called for two pass interference penalties trying to defend Jones, both of which contributed to scores.I dont know what the diagnosis is right now, but I cant put too much pressure on it, Peterson said.UP NEXTCardinals: Return home to face Washington next Sunday.Falcons: Host the Kansas City Chiefs, the only team remaining on Atlantas schedule with a winning record.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Swell Traveler Sale . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Swell Water Bottle Nz . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. http://www.swellbottlesnz.com/ . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. SWell Bottles Nz . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. SWell Marble Water Bottle . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. Star playmaker James Maloney admits his Cronulla teammates would still likely be haunted by last years playoffs thumping to North Queensland ahead of Fridays NRL preliminary final between the sides.And Sharks coach Shane Flanagan concurs that the heavy defeat will be on his players minds this week.The Sharks were beaten 39-0 in last seasons semi-final in Townsville as another finals campaign ended in abject disappointment.Maloney wasnt part of the Sharks set-up last year but the NSW playmaker knows plenty about the psychological impact losing big games can have.After winning the 2013 premiership with Sydney Roosters, Maloney has tasted defeat in the last two preliminary finals.Maloney said such crucial losses are hard to get over.It is probably in the back of their minds. It is not easy to forget things like that, Maloney said of his teammates at Sharks training on Sunday.I know some defeats we had (at the Roosters) that knocked us out still hurt.It will be there but that will only last so much. You can only carry emotion for so long.Once the game starts we have to put in a really good 80 minutes because we didnt do that against Canberra.The Sharks showed finals grit in last weeks qualifying win over Canberra, when they weere without captain Paul Gallen due to a back injury and fellow NSW representative Wade Graham went off with concussion early and didnt return.ddddddddddddCoach Shane Flanagan said the Sharks were a better side for the brutal finals lesson North Queensland handed out last year.We learnt a lot going up there last year. We thought the form we carried up there from the South Sydney game was going to continue into that week but it didnt, he said.It is in the back of the mind of the players and we learned from it but I am not sure that it is driving us.We have more motivation and reasons for our drive. To get to that grand final is the first point and if we are good enough to get there, then to win the first one (for Cronulla), that is our drive.North Queenslands epic defeat of Brisbane on Friday night showed the premiers were not going to give up their title with out a fight, Flanagan said.It was typical of a side that has won the competition, Flanagan said.You are going to have to find that courage, spirit and determination at some stage during a finals series and they showed that the other night. ' ' '