SAN DIEGO -- The Falcons defeated the Chargers 22-16 Sunday in a game filled with emotional plays on both sides of the ball.
Three turnovers led to Chargers scores but a solid effort by the Falcons defense turned back the Chargers on multiple occasions. The unit also forced a key score just before halftime.
Atlanta took an early 3-0 lead off a Jason Elam field goal but fell behind after a fumbled punt by Harry Douglas inside Falcons territory. Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson got in for a touchdown four plays later, but that would be some of the only success the All Pro had in the afternoon.
Tomlinson was held to the second-lowest rushing total of his career (24 yards) and the Chargers didn't have an offensive play of more than 18 yards in the game. Michael Turner, who backed up Tomlinson for the first four years of his career before joining the Falcons, rushed for 120 yards on 31 careers.
“In this league you have to win games like this, when things don’t always go your way… I felt like our guys fought very hard for 60 minutes," Head Coach Mike Smith said. “This is a group of men that enjoy being around each other. They've fought hard every single day since we’ve been together."
Atlanta (8-4) got another Elam field goal in the first quarter, scored with a Matt Ryan to Justin Peelle touchdown pass and then opened the game up off a defensive play. In the process, the Falcons got their first win of the season when not leading after the first quarter.
The Falcons defense worked tirelessly to get in the face of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and was rewarded for the effort with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter.
A special teams tackle on a kickoff return by David Irons gave San Diego first-and-10 inside its own 10-yard line. The defense took over from there, dropping Tomlinson for a loss and forcing Rivers to throw from his own end zone on third down.
Defensive end John Abraham bull rushed over the left side and got his left arm on Rivers. The quarterback escaped but threw the ball to an empty space just over the line of scrimmage. The subsequent intentional grounding penalty resulted in a safety and an additional two points for the Falcons.
It was the first safety for the Birds since Dec. 12, 2005 (New Orleans) but they would not capitalize after a Chargers free kick, driving down field but getting held out of the end zone on four tries from inside the 2-yard line.
The 15-7 lead carried into halftime.
“That’s part of the game," Ryan said when asked about the Chargers' goal line stand. "You have to understand there’s going to be ups and downs and at times things aren’t going to go your way. But it speaks to the character of guys we have in the locker room and the coaches as well. Everybody continued to fight and we came out on top at the end.”
Atlanta got the ball to open the third quarter and again moved down the field but a rare Brian Finneran fumble was recovered by safety Eric Weddle and returned 86 yards for a Chargers touchdown. Smith challenged the play but there wasn't enough to overturn the original call. San Diego missed on a two-point conversion attempt, however, and the Falcons retained a thin, two-point lead, 15-13.
The missed opportunity could have haunted the team, which missed out on touchdowns three times in the red zone, but a defensive stop was followed by a key drive for the Birds, who ate up the rest of the third quarter with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Douglas on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Ryan finished the game with a solid 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He found Roddy White six times for 112 yards as the receiver went over the 1,000 yard mark for the second-straight season.
Rookie Kroy Biermann got his first professional sack on the next Chargers possession, setting the tone for another defensive stop. But it was a 28-yard gain on a fake punt that gave San Diego new life in Falcons territory.
Forced to answer the bell again, the defense forced a field goal attempt that was blocked by Jamaal Anderson. A fumble by Turner gave the ball back to San Diego with 9:05 to play but the defense held the home team to a field goal.
Atlanta went three-and-out on the next possession, but the defense held San Diego again thanks to the second of two fourth-quarter sacks by defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux.
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-CHARGERS GAME:
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete coverage of the Falcons win over the Chargers
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more from NFL.com
- GAME RECAP: Falcons get 22-16 victory over Chargers in San Diego
- GAME NOTES: Official game notes from the QUALCOMM Stadium press box
- J. MIKE'S BLOG: News and more from the AF.com Managing Editor
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Turner | Ryan
- TRANSCRIPTS: Quotes from Falcons and Chargers players and coaches (PDF)
- HIGHLIGHTS: NFL Network Gameday | NFL Network Short
- INACTIVES: Inactives and starters from the Falcons-Chargers game
- REVIEW AND RESPOND: Ask your questions about the game
- PHOTOS: Images from the Falcons win over the Chargers
- FORUMS: Talk about the game with other Falcons fans on FalconsLIFE
