The game that was
The Falcons’ 41-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars was quick, decisive and devastating to the visitors. For the first time this season, Atlanta showed a killer instinct.
What we learned
1. John Abraham is alive and well. The Falcons' sack master was slowed by a groin injury he suffered against Philadelphia in the second game of the season. He pronounced himself healthy after destroying the Jaguars' tackles. He finished with five tackles, three and a half sacks, three quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. Abraham whipped a spin move on Cameron Bradfield in the third quarter that led to Corey Peters' 13-yard touchdown runback with a fumble. "It was a fun game," Abraham said. "We played well in all facets of the game; minus that special teams blocked [punt], it was a perfect ballgame."
2. Julio Jones is very, very fast. Jones flashed his big-play ability on the opening drive of the game. He caught a short pass and outran three Jaguars in scoring from 29 yards out. The Falcons mixed Jones' explosiveness with Roddy White's playmaking ability against Jacksonville. White finished with 10 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns; Jones had five catches for 85 yards and a score. White became the first wide receiver in franchise history to go over the 1,000-yard receiving mark for five consecutive seasons. The All-Pro receiver has 85 catches for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
3. Matt Ryan is back on track. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had a passer rating of 137.3, the second highest of his career. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns. He was 4 of 4 for 57 yards in the opening drive. Ryan sprinkled in some no-huddle plays on the second possession of the game, leading to a field goal. Also, White's 29-yard touchdown catch came when the Falcons ran the no-huddle attack. The Falcons had five pass plays of 20 yards or more, giving them 51 on the season. They had 32 last season. Jones had three on receptions of 29 in the first quarter, 24 in the third quarter and 22 in the fourth quarter.
Injury report
Linebacker Stephen Nicholas, who missed the past two games with a quadriceps injury, returned to the starting lineup, but left the game with a knee injury. Falcons defensive tackle Corey Peters left the game with a knee injury, but returned to the action with 8:04 left in the second quarter. Cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (dislocated toe) were inactive because of injury, but have been working with the training staff.
The numbers game
112
Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 112 yards on 17 carries. He became the second running back to rush for more than 100 yards against the Falcons’ defense this season.
25-6
The Falcons’ record at the Georgia Dome since the 2008 season.
40.8
Punter Matt Bosher’s average on five punts.
61
Running back Michael Turner' rushing total on 19 carries.
45
Roddy White's career touchdown total, which ranks third in team history behind Terance Mathis (57) and Andre Rison (56).
Sound bite
“We did a little bit of it on the second drive. We stalled out a couple of times in it. But then I think we did a great job again on Roddy’s late touchdown.”
– Ryan on the Falcons’ no-huddle attack.
Loose ends
Peters’ touchdown was the first of his career. ... Turner has 1,129 yards and nine touchdowns. ... Safety Thomas DeCoud came up with his fourth interception of the season in the fourth quarter. ... Backup quarterback Chris Redman was 5 of 6 for 56 yards and had a passer rating of 105.6; he took over late in the third quarter.
What’s next
The Falcons (9-5) will face the New Orleans Saints (10-3) at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 26 at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Falcons 26-23 on Nov. 13 at the Georgia Dome.
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