The Falcons, who blew a 14-point lead, needed some late-game heroics to snap their six-game losing streak and defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17 before 64,016 fans on Sunday at EverBank Field.
The Falcons improved to 7-7. The Jaguars dropped to 5-9.
“It was awesome to get a win,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “Anytime you go through that struggle, you want to make sure, ‘OK, are the lessons being learned?’ Are the things that we are doing right?’”
The Falcons held a 17-3 at halftime, but Jacksonville stormed back to tie the game in the third quarter. The Falcons regrouped and got two field goals from Shayne Graham to survive.
“It had been certainly a tough stretch,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “For today, just to be able to battle for 60 minutes and get it done, I thought guys competed and everybody is really happy.”
Here are five observations from the game:
1. Jones was unstoppable: Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones became the franchise's career leader in receptions in a single season with a 12-yard catch in the third quarter.
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White held the mark of 115 catches in a season (2010).
Jones had 109 catches for 1,426 yards before facing the Jaguars. He finished the game with nine catches for 118 yards. The 12-yard grab was Jones’ seventh of the nine. Jones has 118 catches and 1,544 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
With two games left to play, Jones would have to have an amazing final two games to reach the NFL mark (Colts, Marvin Harrison, 143, 2002).
“He’s been like a mentor to me,” Jones said of White. “Records are made to be broken. (Justin) Hardy or one of these young guys will probably come along and break my record.”
2. Defense atones: After getting pummeled by the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons' defense figured to struggle against the Jaguars, who scored 80 points in their previous two games.
The Falcons held the Jaguars to a field goal in the first half. Falcons safety Kemal Ishmael erased Jacksonville’s best chance to score a touchdown when he intercepted Blake Bortles’ pass at the goal line just before halftime and returned it 84 yards.
It was a redemptive effort for the Falcons’ defense after it surrendered 260 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter of the 38-0 defeat at Carolina.
Ishmael had a chance to score a touchdown but was chased down by Bortles, who shed a block attempt by linebacker Justin Durant near the 20. Graham kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired on the first half.
3. Good start for offense: The Falcons' offense scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time this season.
Freeman, who had not scored a rushing touchdown in seven games, scored on a 5-yard touchdown run around right end to cap an eight-play, 80-yard drive.
The Falcons rolled out Ryan twice and he found Jones on both plays. Jones had three catches for 44 yards to power the drive. Also, White had a catch over the middle for 16 yards.
4. Big-time drive: After Graham's field goal to make it 20-17, the Falcons' defense forced a three-and-out. The offense had the ball with 8:26 to play.
The Falcons converted three consecutive third-down situations to help run some time off the clock.
Hardy had two catches and White had a 17-yard grab on third-and-13. Devonta Freeman appeared to have picked up another first down in a third-down situation, but left guard Andy Levitre and tight end Jacob Tamme were both called for blocks in the back.
The drive stalled and Graham added a 46-yard field goal, but the Falcons ran the clock to 1:46.
5. Trufant and Robinson battled: Trufant was locked in a battle with Jacksonville wide receiver Allen Robinson, who had three catches for 57 yards and one touchdown.
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