In a battle of NFC heavyweights, both teams got in their shots, but the Falcons emerged with a 35-31 victory over Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles at the Georgia Dome on Sunday. The Falcons needed two 80-yard, fourth-quarter drives to rally from a 10-point deficit in the hard-hitting affair.
What we learned
1. Matt Ryan's a good playcaller: The Atlanta offense sputtered for most of the evening and couldn't sustain any long drives until the Falcons jumped into their no-huddle attack late in the game. With Ryan pulling from more than 30 plays at the line of scrimmage, the offense came to life. With the Falcons down 31-21, Ryan converted on a 13-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez on third-and-12 and a 14-yard pass to Julio Jones on third-and-2. Ryan tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Ovie Mughelli to cap the 12-play drive. After a defensive stop, the Falcons' offense went back on the attack with 10:45 left in the game. The unit overcame a holding call on center Joe Hawley when Ryan called a trap play that sprung Michael Turner for a 61-yard gain. Five plays later, Turner scooted around right end for a 3-yard touchdown run with 4:48 left.
2. Definition of total team effort: The Falcons received big plays from all sectors of the roster. Defensive tackle Peria Jerry collapsed the pocket and forced a Vick fumble, and defensive end Ray Edwards had the wherewithal to scoop it up and try to score. Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton had a couple of pass deflections in the end zone. Backup running back Jacquizz Rodgers averaged 5.7 yards on three carries and had a key 10-yard run on the game-winning drive.
3. Clock management almost costly: The Falcons went into their "victory formation" too early. After a dropped fourth-down pass by Philadelphia's Jeremy Maclin, the Falcons had 1:41 left and needed to run the clock down. They didn't and punted to the Eagles' dangerous DeSean Jackson and needed Lofton to bat down a Hail Mary pass before they could start celebrating. "That was probably a coaching error," Smith said. "We needed to run the ball. Not probably, it was a coaching error."
Injury report
Cornerback Kelvin Hayden (hamstring) and defensive tackle Corey Peters (knee/leg) left the game with injuries. Christopher Owens took over for Hayden. Vance Walker and Carlton Powell (16 snaps) got some additional action at defensive tackle. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder/knee) and center Todd McClure (knee) were inactive.
The numbers game
34.7
Rookie punter Matt Bosher’s average on seven punts. He had an 18-yard punt in the third quarter.
10
Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton's team-leading tackles total.
90
Tight end Tony Gonzalez’s career scoring reception total, which ranks 10th in NFL history, one shy of tying former St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Isaac Bruce for ninth all-time.
57
The Falcons’ yards from seven penalties. They were the least penalized team in the league last season with just 58 infractions. They have 16 in two games, and are on pace to commit 124 penalties.
Sound bite
“I grew up playing video games with him. It was nothing like being out there. When he runs you have to get on your horse. It was fun though.”
Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on chasing Michael Vick.
Loose ends
The Falcons improved to 21-4 at the Georgia Dome under Smith. ... Weatherspoon, a former Missouri teammate of Maclin's, spent part of the lockout working out in the Philadelphia area with several Eagles. … Ryan improved his record in the Georgia Dome to 20-2. … Turner’s 32-yard reception was a career high. … Ryan completed passes to eight different receivers.
What’s next
Atlanta (1-1) faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) at 4:15 p.m. at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium in their NFC South opener. The Falcons swept two games with the Buccaneers last season.
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