Tight ends help to power offense

The Falcons used all of their tight ends to help power the offense against the Raiders.

Tight end Jacob Tamme had five catches for 75 yards, many of them early in the game.

But it was backup tight ends, Levine Toilolo and Austin Hooper, both who played at nearby Stanford, who contributed with key plays.

Toilolo had two catches for 21 yards, including a big one to pick up a third down late in the game.

Hooper had three catches for 84 yards, including a 44-yarder.

“Anytime that you get out with a win, that’s good,” Toilolo said. “I think the team did a good job of finishing in the second half and kind of sticking together.”

Falcons coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Matt Ryan praised the play of the tight ends.

“It’s always good to see my fellow tight ends do well,” Toilolo said.

The Falcons used all three tight ends to help power the rushing attack, too.

“It was great to be out there with the position group,” said Hooper, a third-round draft pick. “That makes it fun. There were a lot of one-on-one matchups and an opportunity for everyone to get some plays. It was a lot of fun, especially to play back at home.”

Hooper was quickly headed toward the team bus to see some of his Stanford buddies.