The Falcons broke their trend of slow starts by scoring a touchdown on their opening drive. Devonta Freeman ran it in, diving into the pylon. The defense then stepped up its game and forced a quick three-and-out to give Atlanta all the momentum.
Dan Quinn tried to maintain this momentum by going for a fake punt, and Eric Weems ran it for a first down, but there was a flag for holding, wiping out the run.
It was a defensive struggle from here on, with both offenses stalling regularly. The Falcons defense, as it has done for much of the season, held its own.