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Matt Ryan was an impressive 6-6 for 86 yards and a touchdown to Julio Jones while Rookie QB Marcus Mariota had a rough opening pro game with an interception and a fumble on his first two possessions. The Falcons would hold on for a 24-31 victory.
In other news, the Falcons have signed CB Travis Howard, LB Terrell Manning and RB Evan Royster. They also announced the release of OL DeMarcus Love.
East Rutherford, NJ 07073
The Atlanta Falcons went into the game against the New England Patriots knowing that they needed to score as many points as possible against Tom Brady and his bunch of unknown warriors. Head coach Mike Smith knew this as well, so when it came to a forth and two call, Smith had no qualms letting his team try and pick up the first. Had Matt Ryan not thrown an errant pass, the Falcons would have taken the lead and who knows what the outcome would be after that. Going 3-13 on third down over a span of four games certainly doesn’t help.
“There were a number of contributing factors to our inefficiency, not just one area, not just one group,” Mike Smith said Monday. “We had some protection issues. We had some routes that were not run right. We had some drops. We had some missed throws. I can assure you that we’re addressing it as a coaching staff, and we’re addressing it with our team.”
The Falcons will have the opportunity to right the ship as they take on the New York Jets , October 7th. Great tickets and seats are still available!
The Falcons hardly have been so formidable, and their 2-2 start puts them third in what might be the NFL’s best division, the NFC South. Atlanta lost only three games in 2010, so if Mr. Rodgers and company continue lighting it up, the Falcons could find themselves in a huge hole.
“It’s fun playing teams like this on Sunday night. The atmosphere, we know what that’s going to be like,” Rodgers said. “We beat them last year pretty good down there. They’re upset about that, I’m sure. It’s going to be a tough game for us.”
Rodgers’ counterpart with the Falcons, Matt Ryan, hasn’t forgotten that 48-21 pasting.
“It takes a little while to get over, but you have to move past it,” Ryan said. “You have to learn from it. Not only myself — I know I used it as motivation throughout the offseason . … That’s part of playing in this league is you’re going to make some mistakes and you’re going to make some plays that don’t go the way you want. It’s how you respond to those type of things, and I think I’ve had the right response.”
Green Bay certainly has responded in style after its surge from wild card to champion.
“We think this is going to be a hot game,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re excited to go down there and play on the big national stage. We’re fully aware probably of how they feel about us. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
The other unbeaten team, Detroit, hosts Chicago on Monday night.
Also Sunday, it’s Tampa Bay at San Francisco, the New York Jets at New England, Oakland at Houston, San Diego at Denver, Philadelphia at Buffalo, Tennessee at Pittsburgh, New Orleans at Carolina, Seattle at the New York Giants, Cincinnati at Jacksonville, Arizona at Minnesota, and Kansas City at Indianapolis.
Off this week are Baltimore (3-1), Cleveland (2-2), Dallas (2-2), Miami (0-4), St. Louis (0-4), and Washington (3-1).
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