SEATTLE -- The Falcons earned a big 34-31 victory on the road in a primetime matchup with the Seattle Seahawks and look like they are beginning to click at the right time.
Despite all of the late-game drama in Seattle – made possible by a brilliant individual effort by quarterback Russell Wilson – the Falcons (6-4) never trailed against the Seahawks (6-4) in arguably the most hostile road environment in the NFL.
Atlanta scored touchdowns on its first two possessions for the first time this season, and it scored points on five of its eight drives, excluding the kneel downs at the end of both halves. The Falcons were actually outgained on offense by the Seahawks – 279 yards to 360 yards – but they were extremely efficient where it mattered most.
Atlanta converted 9 of its 14 third down chances, a 64 percent success rate, and scored a touchdown on two of its three trips to the red zone.
Defensively, the Falcons made the Seahawks' offense fight for every yard throughout the majority of the game and made several big plays.
Desmond Trufant set up the second offensive touchdown with an interception and 43-yard return on the Falcons' first defensive series. Then, at the beginning of the second quarter, rookie Takkarist McKinley stripped Wilson and Adrian Clayborn picked up the ball, rumbling for 10 yards and a touchdown.
Grady Jarrett and Keanu Neal were two other defensive standouts for the Falcons. Jarret knifed into the backfield often, picking up one sack and making one of the biggest plays of the game on Seattle's attempted fake field goal to stop the effort short of a first down. Neal set the tone with his usual hard hits, despite leaving the game early to be treated for a possible head injury.
Although there were parts of the game that can be cleaned up, the Falcons scored a big win on the road against a conference foe right in the thick of things. With the win, Atlanta is currently in the second wildcard spot and kept pace in the NFC South. Now owning the tiebreak against the Packers, Lions, Cowboys and Seahawks, and with five remaining divisional games forthcoming, everything is on the table for the Falcons – who have put together their best back-to-back games of the season.
