The Falcons had a fitting finish to a regular season in which they’ve had the best offense in the league for most of the year.
Against the Saints on Sunday the Falcons became the only NFL team this season to score touchdowns on their first five possessions. The Titans had scored on their first four possessions in a game this season.
“I think that kind of sums up the season,” Falcons linebacker Vic Beasley said. “The offense has been playing great the whole season. What they did today was remarkable.”
The Saints had improved defensively in the second half of the season but they had no answer for the NFL’s top-scoring offense. In the first half the Falcons gained 323 yards on 28 plays (11.5 per play) while converting all three third downs and quarterback Matt Ryan was 17-for-19 for 235 yards four touchdowns.
“Matt has been hot the whole season,” Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones said. “The offensive line has been doing a great job with protection for him and he’s been getting the ball out to the right guy.”
The Falcons scored two touchdowns in the first quarter. The first drive took just four plays, capped by Tevin Coleman’s seven-yard TD catch. The second drive lasted one play, with Devonta Freeman breaking free for a 75-yard TD run.
The Falcons began their third drive late in the first quarter and ended it four plays later with Ryan’s one-yard touchdown pass to Jones early in the second. The Falcons went 76 yards in 11 plays on their fourth touchdown drive (Ryan 10-yard pass to Mohamed Sanu) and 75 yards on nine plays on their fifth possession (Ryan seven-yard pass to Justin Hardy).
“Always can get better,” Jones said. “We’ve always got to keep putting that work in and then coming out whenever we play in the playoffs and go out there and let it go.”
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