A late field goal gave the Atlanta Falcons a slight edge heading into the break, breaking a 10-all tie in what was a back-and-forth 30-minute battle with the New York Giants.
Our Falcons/Giants Halftime Quick Hitters
After the Falcons extended their lead to ten just over nine minutes into the second half, the New York Giants turned on the jets. New York would electrify their home crowd by scoring 20 unanswered points from there, along with shutting the Falcons offense down completely en route to a 30-20 home victory.
Turning Point: Following a three-yard touchdown rush by Giants RB Andre Williams that sliced a 20-10 Atlanta lead down to 20-17, Atlanta's offense would do absolutely zilch in response.
The Falcons went three-and-out with the crowd at the Meadowlands ringing in their ears, handing the ball right back to a confident Giants offense. Eli Manning would capitalize, going 4-of-5 for 45 yards on New York's ensuing drive (capped by a 15-yard TD strike to WR Odell Beckham) to give the Giants the lead to stay at 24-20.
Key Stat: The Atlanta Falcons would gain just seven yards on three drives spanning over the third and fourth quarters. The final possession of that abysmal stretch was a four-and-done (with Atlanta down 27-20) that moved exactly 0 yards after Matt Ryan was sacked for a 9-yard loss - handing the Giants the ball with just under 5 to go in Atlanta territory.
Giants MVP: Hand this one over to Eli Manning once again for getting the job done when his team needed him most. His stat line (19-for-30, 200 yards, 2 TD) isn't the most gorgeous thing you'll ever see, but he once again asserted himself as one of the most clutch signal callers of the modern era by playing a pivotal role in New York's rally to victory.
Falcons MVP: If you have WR Julio Jones and you're in a PPR fantasy football league, you're a happy camper. Jones caught ten balls for 97 yards, giving QB Matt Ryan a consistent target to work with all day long. WR Antone Smith provided the fireworks (a 74-yard highlight of a TD catch), but Jones provided needed muscle for Atlanta's receiving corps.
What’s Next? Atlanta welcomes the Chicago Bears to the Georgia Dome next Sunday, while a surging New York Giants squad heads to Philly for a top-shelf Sunday Night Football clash with the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles.
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