Sunday, October 23, 2011

Falcons Defeat The Lions, 23-16

It was a crazy game in Mo Town. In a game that went right down to the wire, the Falcons come out on top for their second straight win. QB Matt Ryan went 20/34 for 218 yards and 1 touchdown pass, despite throwing 2 interceptions. He had a 1 yard rushing touchdown on a QB sneak. RB Michael Turner had 27 carries for 122 yards. WR Roddy White had 5 catches for 52 yards and 1 touchdown. TE Tony Gonzalez had a career day as he moved into 2nd all time in receptions with 1,103.

Falcons QB Matt Ryan

Ryan suffered an apparent ankle sprain in the 2nd half but returned two plays later. His first play back was a 45 yard completion to WR Harry Douglas. The Falcons just can't lose when Michael Turner rushes for 100 yards. FB Ovie Mughelli suffered an injury in the 3rd quarter which looked like a broken leg. His MRI might be in Atlanta tomorrow. Falcons WR Julio Jones was out for a second straight week with a hamstring injury.
Lions QB Matthew Stafford

For the Lions stats, QB Matthew Stafford went 15/32 for 183 yards and 1 touchdown. WR Calvin Johnson had 5 catches for 115 yards and 1 touchdown after a slow start in the 1st half. Atlanta had a good day on defense as they held three Lions RBs to less than 50 yards. Falcons LB Curtis Lofton had 10 total tackles. LB Sean Weatherspoon had 6 tackles and 1 sack.

Despite getting the W, penalties killed the Falcons. We have to cut down on that, especially on offense. That's what happens though when you're in Detroit. The fans in Ford Field are so loud and play a role as a 12th man. Matt Ryan and the whole team overcame that though. I like Ryan's leadership when he suffered that injury. Coming back out two plays later wanting to get back on the field and leading your team to a victory.

The Falcons improve their record to 4-3. They have a bye week next week before they take on the winless Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. Atlanta obviously has the momentum going into that game as they continue to fight in the competitive NFC South.

1 comment:

  1. This was a huge win for the Falcons. They now go into the bye week with a 2 game winning streak, not to mention a 4-3 record. With Indianapolis coming up they are in great position to be 5-3 when they play the Saints.

    Mike Smith gave the team the whole week off as a reward for their big victory. This was a great team victory as the defense flustered Stafford and stifled the running game. Big plays in critical situations came from Douglas, Snelling, and Rogers.

    Hopefully, the injuries to Ryan and Meghelli are not serious. This game could be the turning point of the season. It was a quality victory against a tough opponent on the road. I hope it gives the Falcons the boost they need for their playoff fun.

    GO FALCONS!!!!!

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