Sometimes, everything just clicks. That was the case for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, as they had their way with the visiting Las Vegas Raiders during a 43-6 blowout victory.
Let’s examine the performances of the Falcons’ offense, defense and special teams units following their Week 12 win over the Raiders.
OFFENSE
The offense moved the ball well, but suffered from some early miscues. After settling for multiple field goals, the Falcons wound up scoring 43 points (thanks to Deion Jones’ pick-six) with less than 200 passing yards from QB Matt Ryan.
For the game, Ryan finished with 185 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley returned to the end zone, catching his seventh touchdown of the season on a day where the team was without Julio Jones.
Brian Hill replaced Todd Gurley and went on to rush for 55 yards. He was out-gained by Ito Smith, who finished with 65 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Wide receiver Brandon Powell caught his second touchdown of the year on a day where seemingly nothing could go wrong.
DEFENSE
The Falcons forced four fumbles, each by a different player. Foye Oluokun, Steven Means, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and LaRoy Reynolds.
Linebacker Deion Jones was stellar in coverage for most of the day, He’d finish with five tackles and an interception for a touchdown. Raiders QB Derek Carr had one of the worst games of his career, fumbling three times and throwing the pick-six to Jones.
Atlanta’s defensive pressure was solid, coming away with five sacks, while playing good coverage on the back end. Darqueze Dennard made a few nice plays in coverage, and rookie CB A.J. Terrell responded well after giving up a big catch to Henry Ruggs.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs ran for just 27 yards on the day, while Carr was held without a touchdown pass.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo leads all NFC kickers in Pro-Bowl voting. On Sunday, Koo backed it up with a gutsy performance. After a Raiders defender rolled into his leg during a field-goal attempt, he stayed in the game and finished 5-for-5 on field goals, while going a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points.
Rookie punter Sterling Hofrichter averaged 33 yards per attempt and Brandon Powell had just one kick return for 16 yards. Atlanta’s special teams units, particularly Koo, have been a pleasant surprise this season.
