A brief look at the Falcons’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
How the game was won: The Falcons jumped out to a 17-0 lead and held on for the 29-18 victory in a sparsely attended game at the Georgia Dome. With Roddy White out with an ankle injury, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan leaned heavily on wide receivers Julio Jones and Harry Douglas. The Falcons improved to 5-7, while the Cardinals dropped to 9-3.
Notable: With the win, the Falcons remained tied for first place in the NFC South with the New Orleans Saints, who defeated Pittsburgh 35-32 on Sunday. Both teams are 5-7, but the Falcons own the head-to-head tie breaker….Cardinals running back Andre Ellington left the game in the second quarter with a hip injury and did not return….Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu left the game in the second quarter with a thumb injury and did not return… .Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant left the game late in the second quarter with a neck injury. He returned in the third quarter…Falcons defensive end Stansly Maponga left the game late in the second quarter with an elbow injury… . Douglas caught nine passes for 116 yards and running back Steve Jackson had his best day rushing with the Falcons as he ran for 101 yards on 18 carries… .Safety William Moore play well in his return from a shoulder injury.
Number: 189. Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, who had been challenged by Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, finished with 10 catches for career regular-season high 189 yards and one touchdown.
Next: The Falcons play the Green Bay Packers at 8:30 p.m. Monday at Lambeau Field. The game will be televised by ESPN.
