It took five miserable weeks of bad football, a glut of injuries, and the firing of both the head coach and general manager, but the Falcons finally managed to win a football game. Atlanta didn’t just win—they dominated the Vikings from start to finish, with the game out of contention at halftime. Unlike in previous weeks, notably against the Cowboys and Bears, the Falcons didn’t relent in the second half. The offense kept pace with their opponent and the defense did enough for a resounding 40-23 victory.
We saw this version of the Falcons in spurts over the first five games of the season, but never for 4 quarters.