Atlanta's 27-21 win over the Denver Broncos on ESPN's Monday Night Football drew 15.5 million viewers to rank as the most-watched show on cable since January's BCS National Championship Game between Alabama and LSU on ESPN.
The Falcons improved to 5-0 in home openers under Head Coach Mike Smith and snapped a six-game losing skid on Monday Night Football with the win. Atlanta's defense set the early tone, picking off Broncos QB Peyton Manning on each of Denver's first three possessions. The Birds forced four turnovers in first quarter which helped them jump out to an early 10-0 lead. QB Matt Ryan completed 24 of 36 pass attempts for 219 yards with two touchdowns, including his 100th career touchdown pass. WR Roddy White caught eight passes for 102 yards with one touchdown. Defensively, S William Moore posted one of the best games of his career, collaring eight tackles (five solo) with one interception and one sack.
The Falcons travel to San Diego to battle the Chargers in Week 3. The two clubs have played eight times, with the Falcons holding a 7-1 edge in the all-time series, including each of the last five meetings. In five trips to San Diego, the Falcons have outscored the Chargers 118-55 en route to a 5-0 record, including a 22-16 in their last meeting in 2008. Under Head Coach Mike Smith, Atlanta is 5-0 in west coast games and has outscored its opponents 155-72.
