Falcons with a repeat performance in 34-23 win over Packers

New season. New stadium. Same ol' result.

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons picked up where they left off against the Green Bay Packers, building a big halftime lead on the way to a dominating 34-23 victory Sunday night. The rematch of last season's NFC championship game was essentially a repeat: Ryan threw for 252 yards and a touchdown, Devonta Freeman had a couple of scoring runs, and Desmond Trufant darted to the end zone off an attempted pass by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers that was ruled a fumble.

"We came out aggressive," said Julio Jones, who had five catches for 108 yards. "We did a great job and got after them."

Back in January at the Georgia Dome, Atlanta earned a trip to the Super Bowl by racing to a 31-0 edge early in the third quarter on the way to a 44-21 blowout of the Packers.

In the first regular-season NFL game at $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium - and the first sporting event in which the facility's camera lens-like roof was open - the Falcons put on quite a show to mark the occasion.

They were ahead 24-7 at halftime and 31-7 less than a minute into the third period.

Unlike the Super Bowl , Atlanta (2-0) made sure this lead stood up.

Ryan threw for 201 yards in the first half, getting Jones involved in the offense. Freeman rushed for 84 yards, and Tevin Coleman chipped in with 42 on the ground plus a touchdown catch. Trufant not only scored a defensive touchdown, he came up with a crucial interception near the end of the first half.

"That's when we really come to light," coach Dan Quinn said. "Different weapons. You never know who's going to be the one."

After struggling a bit offensively in a season-opening victory at Chicago that was preserved with a goal-line stand in the closing seconds, the Falcons dominated right from the start in an early showdown for conference supremacy.

"If we get down to a tie-breaker, this game could be a big one," Rodgers said, already looking far down the road.

On the opening possession, Ryan guided a nine-play, 86-yard drive that was reminiscent of the league's highest-scoring team a year ago. Jones hauled in two passes for 53 yards and the Falcons didn't get to third down until they were at the Green Bay 1. Freeman powered in from there to make it 7-0.

The Packers (1-1) responded with a 75-yard drive of their own, capped by Ty Montgomery's 1-yard TD run. But it was downhill from there for Rodgers and his offense, which was missing both of its starting tackles and lost receiver Jordy Nelson early on with a quadriceps injury.

Atlanta led 17-7 after Freeman's second TD run from 2 yards out and Matt Bryant's 51-yard field goal. Then, the game totally got away from Rodgers and the Packers near the end of the first half. Three penalties in four plays - one a disputed offensive pass interference that wiped out a 36-yard gain - pushed Green Bay back to its own 3 before Rodgers lofted a terrible pass down the right sideline that was picked off easily by Trufant at the 36.

Ryan hit Mohamed Sanu with a 21-yard pass, setting up a 3-yard scoring pass to Coleman with 24 seconds remaining .

On the second play of the second half, Trufant turned it into a rout .

Rodgers was plastered by 2016 sack leader Vic Beasley Jr. attempting to throw, the ball wobbling out of his hand for what appeared an incomplete pass. But Trufant wisely scooped it up and scooted into the end zone for what was ruled a 15-yard touchdown. The call stood when the replay didn't show conclusively that the pass went forward.

"A big play by him with the interception at the end of the half," Quinn said, "then a smart play to start the second half on the forced fumble."

The Packers finally showed a bit of life with a couple of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including Rodgers' 300th career scoring pass .

It wasn't nearly enough.

INJURIES

Green Bay: Already short-handed up front, the Packers lost several more players during the game. Nelson was the most prominent injury, but also going down were defensive tackle Mike Daniel (hamstring), receiver Randall Cobb (shoulder) and cornerback Davon House (quad). In addition, backup safety Kentrell Brice was forced out by a groin injury.

Atlanta: On the first touchdown of the night, right tackle Ryan Schraeder was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The Falcons also lost Beasley (hamstring) and defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw (ankle).

MILESTONES

Rodgers' first touchdown pass came on a 33-yard, fourth-down pass to Davante Adams, who made a brilliant play to keep his feet inbounds while kicking the pylon. No. 300 for Rodgers was as short as you can get, a little left-handed shovel pass to Montgomery from the 1.

"They all count," Rodgers quipped.

Bryant's first field goal was his 200th since joining the Falcons in 2009, making him the first Atlanta kicker to reach that figure. He also connected in the third quarter from 53 yards.

UP NEXT

Green Bay: Return to Lambeau Field to face the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) next Sunday.

Atlanta: Travel to Detroit to take on the Lions (1-0), who face the New York Giants on Monday night.

Ryan leads 2 TD drives in 4th, Falcons beat Bears 23-17

 Matt Ryan threw an 88-yard touchdown to Austin Hooper and led two fourth-quarter scoring drives, and the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons held on to beat the Chicago Bears 23-17 in the season opener on Sunday.

The butt of jokes following their epic Super Bowl collapse against New England, the Falcons survived as the Bears missed several chances to score a touchdown in the final seconds.

The Bears had a first down at the Atlanta 5 in the closing minute. Glennon's pass to a lunging Josh Bellamy on first down hit off the receiver's hands, and Jordan Howard then dropped a simple catch at the 1.

After another incompletion on third down, Glennon got sacked by Brooks Reed to end the drive.

Atlanta was clinging to a 13-10 lead early in the fourth when a scrambling Ryan fired to a wide-open Hooper near midfield. The second-year tight end from Stanfordraced up the right side and stiff-armed Quintin Demps on the way to the end zone to make it a 10-point game.

The Bears then went 75 yards, with Glennon hitting rookie Tarik Cohen for a 19-yard TD midway through the fourth to cut it to 20-17. Atlanta's Matt Bryant answered with a 37-yard field goal, making it 23-17 with 3:24 left.

Coming off an MVP season, Ryan was 21 of 30 for 321 yards and a touchdown.

Hooper had two catches for 128 yards. Jones added 66 yards receiving and Bryant kicked three field goals.

In his Bears debut, Glennon didn't silence fans who would rather see No. 2 overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky. He was 26 of 40 for 213 yards and a TD.

Cohen made an impressive debut with 66 yards rushing and 47 receiving. He reversed field on a 46-yard run, helping set up Howard's 4-yard touchdown near the end of the half.

Receiver Kevin White found himself in a familiar position, walking off the field with an injury. He had two catches for six yards before hurting his shoulder. White was limited to four games in his first two seasons after being drafted seventh overall in 2015.

INJURIES:

Bears: LG Kyle Long - coming back from right ankle surgery - was inactive. Former Falcon Tom Comptonstarted in his place. ... RB Benny Cunningham Jr. hurt his ankle blocking on a pass play early in the second quarter.

UP NEXT:

Falcons: Host Green Bay.

Bears: Visit Tampa Bay.

Chargers beat Falcons 33-30 in OT on Lambo's 42-yard FG

Josh Lambo said kicking his game-winning field goal - his fourth of the game - was no more difficult than an extra point.

The hard work, according to the kicker, was handled byDenzel Perryman and San Diego's defense.

Lambo's 42-yard field goal in overtime gave San Diego its first road victory of the year, as the Chargers rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 33-30 on Sunday.

Perryman, the linebacker still obviously affected by a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the Chargers' Oct. 9 loss to Oakland, delivered two key plays late in the game. His interception of Matt Ryan's pass for Julio Jones set up Lambo's tying 33-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining in regulation.

Perryman's fourth-and-1 stop on running back Devonta Freeman gave San Diego the ball at Atlanta's 43 for the Chargers' winning drive.

"Credit the defense," Lambo said. "Everyone on the team is making my job easy."

Perryman grabbed Freeman's legs behind the line for the key tackle on the Falcons' gamble.

"It was just instincts," Perryman said. "On fourth-and-1, it was a no-brainer that they were going to run the ball. ... I just got Freeman's leg and hung on."

Falcons coach Dan Quinn stood by the play call even though Freeman lost two yards on a run three plays earlier.

"Just a gut feeling I had," Quinn said of the fourth-down decision. "Go be aggressive and get that half yard that we needed and when we didn't get it that was (the loss)."

The Chargers (3-4) trailed 27-10 in the second quarter after the Falcons scored three straight touchdowns.

"There was no panic," said Chargers coach Mike McCoy. "There was nothing. It was just, `Hey, you've got to believe in what we're doing.' It's just one play at a time."

Melvin Gordon ran for 68 yards and two touchdowns and added a 5-yard scoring catch early in the fourth quarter, cutting Atlanta's lead to 30-27.

Atlanta's Matt Bryant missed his attempt for a 58-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.

The Falcons (4-3) have lost two straight.

"It's frustrating," said offensive tackle Jake Matthews. "We were up big and let it get away."

Jones had nine catches for 174 yards.

PROTEST: Five San Diego players raised their clenched right fists as their protest during the national anthem. Standing together on the San Diego sideline, offensive linemen D.J. Fluker, Chris Hairston and Joe Barksdaleand linebacker Joshua Perry held up their fists as they stood. Offensive tackle Tyreek Burwell, inactive and not in uniform, also raised his fist as part of the protest.

There were no demonstrations from Falcons players.

LONG ROAD: The Chargers had lost 10 of 11 road games. The stretch that began with the final road game in 2014 included losses in San Diego's first three road games this season.

200 AGAIN: Ryan passed for 273 yards for his NFL-record 46th consecutive game with more than 200 yards passing. He threw a 17-yard scoring pass to tight end Jacob Tamme in the second quarter.

THROWBACK: The Falcons wore black jerseys in what they called a "modern interpretation" of their 1966 uniforms. Due to NFL safety rules which require teams to use only one helmet, they wore their normal black helmets, though they switched to the original Falcons logo. They wore red helmets in 1966.

INJURIES: Chargers defensive tackle Caraun Reid was carted off with a left knee injury in the first quarter and did not return. Reid had a teammate fall on his leg on a Falcons completion to tight end Levine Toilolo.

Tevin Coleman led Atlanta with 64 yards rushing, including a 30-yard touchdown run, before leaving with a hamstring injury. Quinn said he had no immediate update on the severity of the injury.

UP NEXT

The Chargers visit Denver next Sunday, while the Falcons play another home game against Green Bay.

Wilson leads Seattle's late rally for 26-24 win over Atlanta

Once the Seattle Seahawks finished yelling at each other, Russell Wilson was given an opportunity at another fourth-quarter comeback.

As has become expected, Wilson delivered and made any internal strife among the Seahawks a secondary story.

Steven Hauschka's 44-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining capped the 20th career fourth quarter or overtime comeback for Wilson, and the Seahawks pulled out a 26-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Seattle's third straight win came only after seeing Matt Ryanblitz the Seahawks for 21 third-quarter points and watching cornerback Richard Sherman erupt on the sideline at his own teammates, angry about blown coverages that led to two of Atlanta's three touchdowns.

But when the fourth quarter came around, it was Wilson's turn.

"Fortunately we did well early, had a really nice first half and then came back when we needed to in the fourth quarter to get the stops we needed to get it done and the one kick we needed to make," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. "A really difficult game, but I'm fired up."

Wilson led a 70-yard drive that was capped by Christine Michael's 1-yard run with 4:47 left, but a blocked extra point by Ra'Shede Hageman still had Seattle trailing 24-23.

Seattle then got a needed big play from its defense. Ryan's pass slipped through Julio Jones' hands, was tipped in the air by Sherman and eventually landed in the arms of Earl Thomas, giving Seattle possession at midfield with 3:48 remaining. It was the first time in the game that Jones was targeted and didn't make the catch.

Seattle stalled at the Atlanta 26. This time Hauschka was perfect after missing a 29-yard attempt earlier in the fourth quarter, the result of a bad snap.

Ryan was incomplete on his last four throws, including a breakup by Sherman on a long pass to Jones on which the Falcons screamed for a pass interference flag.

"Before I took off, he grabbed my right side and spun me around before I jumped up," Jones said. "It was just a missed call. It's over with. It's done. We're onto the next one."

Wilson was 25 of 37 for 270 yards. Michael had two touchdown runs and rookie Alex Collins added his first NFL touchdown on a 2-yard run.

Atlanta's top-ranked offense was stymied by the league's best defense for a half, only to rally in the third quarter and nearly pull off a sweep of Denver and Seattle.

Seattle dominated the line of scrimmage in the first half, hitting Ryan eight times, sacking him three times and holding the Falcons to 86 total yards. Which made what happened in the second half a shocking turnaround.

Ryan finished 27 of 42 for 335 yards and three touchdowns. He hit Jones for a 36-yard score on the first drive of the second half; found Mohamed Sanu on a 10-yard TD; and later connected with Levine Toilolo on a 46-yarder as the Falcons rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to lead 24-17 going to the fourth quarter.

Jones had seven catches for 139 yards and was shadowed for much of the game by Sherman. Jones was targeted five times in 35 plays where Sherman lined up across from him.

"It was frustrating to give up two bogus touchdowns," Sherman said.

RYAN'S THIRD QUARTER

Ryan's quarter was stunning. He was 13 of 17 for 220 yards and three TDs. Since the start of the 2014 season, the Seahawks have held 25 teams to less than 220 yards passing for a game.

It helped that Ryan got two huge chunk plays on blown coverages. The first was Jones' 36-yard touchdown catch , and later Toilolo's 46-yard TD catch on a similar play.

SHERMAN ERUPTION

Sherman lost his cool on the Seattle sideline following Jones' TD catch early in the third quarter. Sherman was unable to control his emotions and was screaming at coaches and teammates. Thomas, Bobby Wagner,Michael Bennett and injured Kam Chancellor all took turns trying to calm Sherman.

"It's just emotions. Emotions sometimes get high," Wagner said. "He's a very passionate dude. But we love him."

MOUNTING INJURIES

Seattle was without Chancellor (groin) and defensive end Frank Clark (hamstring). Then Bennett hyperextended his right knee on the play when Sanu caught his touchdown pass to tie the game at 17. Bennett was cut-blocked by Jake Matthews and eventually limped to the locker room. Bennett returned to the sideline midway through the fourth quarter, but did not re-enter the game.

"If you're big in the NFL, you just line up and play. Why do you have to cut somebody?" Bennett said.

Tight end Luke Willson also injured his right leg on Michael's late touchdown.

STREAK CONTINUES

For the first half it looked as if it would be a struggle, but Ryan continued his streak of throwing for at least 200 yards in 44 straight road games. Ryan had just 83 yards passing in the first half, but threw for 252 yards in the second half.

"I thought we responded really well in the second half and continued to battle. We just didn't finish the way we wanted to," Ryan said.

UP NEXT:

The Falcons are home for San Diego.

The Seahawks are at division rival Arizona on Sunday night.

Atlanta Falcons hand Denver Broncos first loss 23-16

Quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have plenty more in the vault than just superstar receiver Julio Jones - and maybe there's a lot more to these Atlanta Falcons than just some early-season feasting on the NFL's defensive dregs.

The Falcons deciphered Denver's dazzling defense and wrecked Paxton Lynch's first NFL start with a 23-16 win over the Broncos on Sunday, snapping the Super Bowl champs' nine-game winning streak with a dominant and perhaps prescient performance.

They did it without coming close to the numbers that Ryan and Jones put up last week when they became the first duo in league history to sport a 500-yard passer and a 300-yard receiver in the same game.

A week after setting a franchise record with 503 yards passing in a runaway win over Super Bowl 50's other participant, the Carolina Panthers, Ryan threw for 267 yards Sunday and only two of those (covering 29 yards) went to Jones.

"Today, they came out and doubled me. They took me away and they were like, `All right, you're not going to beat us today,'" said Jones, adding he welcomed such attention because "everybody else is going to step up."

That, they did.

Using a steady diet of I-formation runs and short passes that put Denver's linebackers in coverage, the Falcons (4-1) handed the Super Bowl champs their first loss since Dec. 20 at Pittsburgh and left the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) as the NFL's last unbeaten team.

The Broncos (4-1) were on their heels having to respect the play-action because Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman were so effective running the ball, combining for 119 yards and a 4.4-yard average.

Denver's "No Fly Zone" defense was unimpressed with Jones becoming the sixth 300-yard receiver in NFL history. They dismissed that performance as a bad day by the Panthers, and they stifled Jones all afternoon in Denver.

Not that it mattered.

Coleman, who played despite having sickle cell trait, which can sometimes be exacerbated at altitude, showed off his breakaway speed by catching four passes for 132 yards to go with his 31 yards on six carries. He caught a 31-yard touchdown pass following Ricardo Allen's interception at the Denver 42 in the third quarter that made it 20-3.

That sequence sent some flustered fans streaming for the exits as the Falcons finished off the Broncos, who hadn't lost at home since Dec. 13 against Oakland.

The Broncos don't have much time to digest the loss. They play at San Diego on Thursday night, and their hope is that Trevor Siemian's bruised left shoulder is healed by then.

Lynch, the 26th overall pick out of Memphis last April, got the starting nod because Siemian's bruised A.C. joint in his non-throwing shoulder was still bothering him a week after he was flung to the turf in Tampa.

"We just didn't think he was ready," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said.

Actually, it was Lynch who showed he wasn't ready Sunday.

He completed 23 of 35 passes for 223 yards with a late TD to Demaryius Thomas and an interception. He was sacked a half-dozen times, including 3 1/2 times by outside linebacker Vic Beasley, who burned right tackleTy Sambrailo on three of those takedowns.

Lynch's footwork was a mess and his overthrows and misfires ruined any chance the Broncos had of capitalizing on the league's 30th ranked defense, including the NFL's next-to-last pass defense and a patchwork linebacker corps .

"I'm upset obviously because we lost but I'm happy I got the first one under my belt," Lynch said. "If I get put in this situation again, I'll play better."

PROTECTION PROBLEMS: It didn't help Denver that right tackle Donald Stephenson (calf) was deactivated for a third straight week. Ty Sambrailo was repeatedly burned by Beasley before the Broncos moved right guard Michael Schofield over and inserted Darrion Weems.

GROUNDED GROUND GAME: The Broncos' ground game has ground to a near standstill ever since Stephenson and tight end Virgil Green pulled calf muscles in Week 2. After averaging 141 yards and 4.7 yards a carry in their first two games, the Broncos nosedived to 75 yards and 2.8 yards a carry in their last three games.

MILLER TIME: Even in defeat, Von Miller got to the quarterback. He recorded a sack and now has 6 1/2 on the season.

LAST GASP: Brandon McManus kicked a 45-yard field goal with 14 seconds left to get the Broncos within a touchdown but his onside kick was smothered by Falcons tight end Levine Toilolo, and Ryan took a knee in victory formation.

Ryan, Jones set records as Falcons beat Panthers 48-33

 Matt Ryan and Julio Jones brought down some team records - and the defending NFC champions.

Ryan shredded Carolina's defense, passing for a team-record 503 yards and four touchdowns, Jones had 12 receptions for a Falcons-record 300 yards, and Atlanta overwhelmed the struggling Panthers 48-33 on Sunday.

A week after being held to one catch in a win at New Orleans, Jones had a 75-yard scoring catch late in the game as Atlanta (3-1) solidified its early hold on the NFC South lead. Jones' 12 catches came on 15 targets.

"We got Julio the ball in space and when he has the ball in space he's so explosive," Ryan said.

The totals by Ryan and Jones are the most ever allowed by Carolina (1-3), and the first time teammates had 500 yards passing and 300 yards receiving, according to information provided to the Falcons by Elias.

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton left the game in the fourth quarter. The team said Newton suffered a concussion after taking a hit from Deion Jones on a successful 2-point run. There appeared to be helmet-to-helmet contact but there was no penalty on the hit.

Newton appeared to be trying to take a casual jog into the end zone when he was knocked to the ground by Jones. Newton still reached the ball across the goal line.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera had no update on Newton following the game. Newton's replacement, Derek Anderson, said he saw Newton after the game.

"He was all right," Anderson said.

The Panthers scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including scoring passes from Anderson to Greg Olsenand Corey Brown.

Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, completed 14 of 25 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown before leaving the game.

"It's unfortunate," said Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly. "I don't what the severity of it is. ... He's a fighter. He's one of the toughest guys I know. He'll get out there as soon as he can."

Robert Alford's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:14 remaining clinched the win. Alford picked off another pass from Anderson to end Carolina's final possession.

The Falcons began the day leading the NFL in scoring and total offense. They were rarely stopped by Carolina, even when pinned back close to their own goal line. They scored touchdowns after beginning drives on their 2- and 1-yard lines.

Carolina has lost two straight and needs a quick recovery to avoid falling too far behind in the division.

"Our guys are going to rebound from this," Kuechly said. "I know they will. They're a resilient bunch. We take a lot of pride in what we do. We'll come out better next week."

Newton was sacked only once after being sacked eight times in last week's loss to Minnesota.

MORE ON JULIO: Jones is only the fourth player in the Super Bowl era to have at least 300 yards receiving in a game. He is the first since Detroit's Calvin Johnson had 329 yards against Dallas on Oct. 8, 2013.

MISMATCH: Panthers rookie cornerback James Bradberry was overwhelmed from the opening minute in his matchup with Jones. Ryan completed passes to Jones on Atlanta's first three plays for 22, 14 and 15 yards, showing the Falcons' plan to take advantage of a secondary still struggling to replace Josh Norman, now with Washington.

"They put the young corner on me man to man ... and Matt made some great decisions today," Jones said.

INJURIES: Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis left the game with a hamstring injury early in the second half. Wide receiver Devin Funchess left the game in the fourth quarter with a toe injury. Bradberry returned after he was taken to the locker room in the first quarter with a left toe injury.

Falcons linebackers Jones and Sean Weatherspoon sustained calf injuries.

FANTASY WATCH

There was little production to be found in Carolina's running game , as Jonathan Stewart (hamstring) did not play. Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 12 yards on five carries. Fozzy Whittaker had three carries for only six yards but led the Panthers with nine catches for 86 yards.

Atlanta's Devonta Freeman ran for 57 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries as he took the lead in the tandem with Tevin Coleman, who ran for 19 yards on eight carries.

UP NEXT

Carolina: The Panthers will face another division opponent when they return home to face Tampa Bay next Monday night.

Atlanta: The Falcons open a stretch of three straight games against AFC teams when they visit Denver next week.

Freeman, Coleman lift Falcons past Saints, 45-32

 Devonta Freeman practically wore out the Superdome turf with one long gain after another, Tevin Coleman wouldn't be denied near the goal line and the New Orleans Saints hardly looked like the team that made an emotional homecoming nearly 10 years ago to the day.

Cheers turned to boos, and many fans filed out early.

Coleman rushed for three touchdowns, Matt Ryan passed for two TDs andDeion Jones returned an interception 90 yards for a score to help the Atlanta Falcons beat the winless New Orleans Saints 45-32 on Monday night.

"It was real fun. Everybody was doing their job and everybody was playing for each other," Coleman said. "Everything clicked, and we got it done. It's a real big win for us to beat this team here."

The game coincided with New Orleans' celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Saints' memorable return to the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006, 13 months after Hurricane Katrina. But there would be no reprise of New Orleans' dominant and emotional 23-3 triumph over Atlanta a decade ago.

The Saints' depleted defense struggled to slow Freeman, who rushed for 152 yards and caught five passes for 55 yards. Coleman also was effective in the passing game out of the backfield, with three receptions for 47 yards to go with his 42 yards rushing.

"We have to stop the run better," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "They were over 200 yards in situations where you knew the run was coming, even at the end of the game."

Ryan finished with 240 yards passing for Atlanta (2-1), which did not turn the ball over and moved into sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

Drew Brees put up his usual big numbers - 376 yards and three TDs passing - and hit tight end Coby Fleener seven times for 109 yards and a TD. But Brees' tipped pass that resulted in Jones' TD return early in the fourth quarter gave the Falcons a 45-25 lead that proved too much for New Orleans to overcome.

The loss dropped the Saints (0-3) to last place - a far cry from their 3-0 start in 2006.

JONES' RETURN

Jones had "NOLA" written on his cleats as a nod to his hometown of New Orleans. The rookie was only 11 when the dome re-opened after Katrina. He wound up with a pivotal scoring play in his first pro game there.

"It was a great moment for Deion Jones, right here back at home," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. "That was very personal to him."

SPECIAL TEAMS BLUNDER

A cruel irony for the Saints was the way they lost the early momentum on - of all plays - a Falcons punt. A decade earlier, the Saints seized the early momentum on Steve Gleason's punt block that was recovered for a touchdown.

On Monday night, New Orleans had raced to a 7-0 lead and forced a punt on a sack, only to turn the ball over when punt returner Tommylee Lewis was run into by teammate De'Vante Harris. After the collision knocked Lewis to the ground, the ball came down right near him. As it bounced up, Harris tried to grab it, but it bounced away from him. It was recovered by Atlanta on the 11, setting up Coleman's first TD.

"It's a terrible play," Payton said, citing Harris specifically. "There's two mistakes - runs into the returner and then tries to pick the ball up. It's bad."

HAMPERED JULIO

Atlanta star Julio Jones played despite missing a couple practices during the week because of a sore calf. He did not make his first catch until the second half, on the sixth pass of the game intended for him. That play went for 16 yards and was his only catch.

RUNNING WILD

The Falcons gouged New Orleans' porous defense for 217 yards on the ground, highlighted by runs of 48, 36 and 26 yards by Freeman. That took a lot of pressure off Ryan, who praised his offensive line.

"Our offensive line was outstanding across the board," Ryan said. "Anytime you get over 200 rushing yards, your offensive line has played well. Those guys did great."

INJURY REPORT

Falcons: Receiver Mohammed Sanu left with a shoulder injury and did not return.

Saints: Guard Senio Kelemete left with a right leg injury.

Falcons use deflected TD pass to beat Raiders 35-28

On a day dominated by the offenses, a fortunate bounce was the difference.

Justin Hardy caught a deflected 8-yard touchdown pass to break a tie midway through the fourth quarter and the Atlanta Falcons held on to beat the Oakland Raiders 35-28 on Sunday.

"Sometimes you need a little luck, right?" said quarterback Matt Ryan, who threw for 396 yards and three TDs. "For us, we talk about, in our building all the time, good things happen to people who run. Hardy was busting his tail on the back side and ended up being in the right spot at the right time, and it ended up being a huge play for us. That was a good bounce."

Ryan's third-down throw to Tevin Coleman was broken up, but the ball bounced high in the air and Hardy caught it in the end zone to put Atlanta (1-1) up 28-21.

"Sometimes the ball doesn't go your way, the bounces don't go your way," Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said.

The Raiders (1-1) appeared to tie the game on the next drive when Amari Cooper caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr. But Desmond Trufant pushed Cooper went out of bounds before he came back in to make the catch and officials ruled the contact was legal because Carr was out of the pocket.

"I can have my hands on him and I pushed him out," Trufant said. "That's Day 1 for DBs. Push him out of bounds, he can't touch the ball. So I knew the play was over . for him at least."

Del Rio then decided to go for it on fourth-and-2, but Jalen Richard was stopped on a 1-yard gain.

Del Rio had successfully gone on fourth-and-goal earlier in the game, leading to a 2-yard TD pass to Michael Crabtree, and went for a late 2-point conversion to beat New Orleans 35-34 last week in the season opener.

But this latest gamble proved costly as Atlanta added an insurance touchdown on a 13-yard touchdown run by Tevin Coleman to deny the Raiders their first 2-0 start since their 2002 AFC championship season.

BAD D: The Raiders allowed 528 yards of offense, becoming the first team since the 1967 Falcons to give up at least 500 yards in each of the first two games of the season, according to Pro Football Reference. Oakland has allowed 1,035 yards through two games, the worst mark ever. Del Rio said he takes the blame.

"I take it way more personally than him because it's my defense and it's a shame," defensive lineman Khalil Macksaid. "It's a hurtful feeling."

RELIABLE TARGETS: Ryan frequently found his tight ends for big gains, completing 10 passes for 180 yards and a TD to Jacob Tamme , Austin Hooper and Levine Toilolo.

REPRIEVE: The Falcons appeared to stop the Raiders on the opening drive of the second half before a bonehead penalty gave Oakland a second chance. Atlanta had 12 men on the field on the punt and Oakland got a first down when Del Rio challenged the play and officials ruled Dashon Goldson didn't get off the field in time. Four plays later, Carr found Clive Walford for a 31-yard TD pass that put the Raiders up 14-13.

RED ZONE SWING: The Falcons moved the ball fairly easily early in the game, but struggled to punch it in the end zone. The team's first three trips into the red zone ended in a pair of short field goals and an interception. Ryan twice completed third-down passes inside the 5 that came up short of the end zone, leading to field goals by Matt Bryant. In the third quarter, Ryan was late on a pass in the end zone to an open Jacob Tamme and David Amerson intercepted it . The Falcons then scored TDs on their next three red zone trips.

FIRST SACK: After getting just 19 sacks last season for the fewest in the NFL since 2009 and getting none in the opener, the Falcons got their first of the season against Carr. Vic Beasley forced Carr out of the pocket and Carr ran out of bounds for no gain, which officially counts as a sack. It was also the first allowed by Oakland this season.