| Despite pressure from the Eagles' defensive line, Falcons QB Matt Ryan was able to throw for 262 yards and three touchdowns Sunday. (US Presswire) |
The Falcons put together their most complete game of the season Sunday, dominating the Eagles 30-17. It was the first time in four games that Atlanta didn’t need a comeback victory to maintain the NFL’s only undefeated record at 7-0.
The bye week paid dividends, as the Falcons were less porous on defense, shutting down RB LeSean McCoy and not making careless turnovers.
Offense: A
Matt Ryan hit on 75 percent of his passes, throwing for 262 yards, including three first-half touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter opened the playbook and installed a few new wrinkles to the Falcons’ pass-heavy offense in the bye week. Atlanta ran numerous bubble screens, worked in WR Drew Davis, highlighted quicker RB Jacquizz Rodgers, and even ran a rare reverse with WR Julio Jones. The Falcons set the tone from the opening series, driving 80 yards on 16 plays, converting five third-downs and taking a 7-0 lead on Ryan's 15-yard touchdown pass to Davis. Previous game’s grade: C-
Defense: A
The Falcons held McCoy to 45 yards rushing, his second-lowest total of the year and the 92 total rushing yards they allowed marked the first time Atlanta kept an opponent to fewer than 100 yards all year. The Falcons had three sacks on QB Michael Vick, eight tackles for loss and were generally relentless behind the line of scrimmage. The lone downfall could be a fourth-quarter injury to LB Sean Weatherspoon, who was carted off with what looked like an ankle injury. Previous game’s grade: B
Special teams: A
PK Matt Bryant hit all three of his field goal attempts from 43, 30 and 29 yards. Bryant didn’t have to kick a game-winning field goal like he’s had to in two of the Falcons’ past three wins, but it was raining the majority of Sunday’s game. Previous game’s grade: A
Coaching: A
The Falcons ruined Eagles coach Andy Reid’s 13-0 record after bye weeks by winning Mike Smith’s 50th game of his career, giving him the most victories in franchise history. A lot of that was due to Koetter’s brilliant play-calling. Koetter spoke all week about how he expected Philadelphia to bring more pressure on the quarterback with new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles calling the shots for the Eagles. Well, they did, but Koetter called numerous bubble screens that let the flood of pass rushers into the backfield with no one to tackle. Previous week’s grade: C-
For more Falcons coverage, follow Mike Singer @CBSFalcons.