Falcons Fall to Ravens in Week 7, 29-7

First Quarter The Falcons began the game with the ball and were forced into a three-and-out drive; the same can’t be said for the Baltimore Ravens who, led by QB Joe Flacco, used five plays in 1:49 to cover 52 yards, ending with a 5-yard touchdown pass to TE Owen Daniels. Baltimore’s touchdown was set up by a 36-yard pass interference penalty on Falcons CB Robert Alford. The Falcons offense was hit with injury again as center Peter Konz left the field with a knee injury, later carted into the team’s locker room; he didn't return to the game. Offensive Player of the Quarter: Ravens TE Owen Daniels who totaled two receptions for seven yards, including the 5-yard grab for the only score of the quarter. Defensive Player of the Quarter: Ravens OLB Pernell McPhee, who sacked Falcons QB Matt Ryan, stripping the football away, recovered by Ravens OLB Elvis Dumervil.Second Quarter The second quarter couldn’t have started any better for the Falcons defense. The Ravens began the quarter continuing their drive on offense, when Flacco tried to go deep to Torrey Smith again, this time down the right sideline, but Alford stepped in to make the interception. Despite the momentum from the turnover, the Falcons offense was forced to punt on the ensuing drive. Baltimore took the ball on offense and used 10 plays to go 59 yards in 4:18, ending with a 1-yard score by Ravens RB Bernard Pierce, giving the team a 14-0 lead. Falcons QB Matt Ryan was continually under pressure by the Ravens defense; he entered halftime 12 of 17 for 54 yards. Falcons K Matt Bryant attempted a 57-yard field goal, but the ball hit the crossbar, with less than a minute remaining in the half, keeping the team off the scoreboard. After the miss, Flacco completed two passes to cover 33 yards, leading to a 38-yard field goal by Ravens K Justin Tucker, giving his team a 17-0 lead. Offensive Player of the Quarter: Ravens WR Torrey Smith came up with some key grabs in the second quarter, including a 20-yard reception on a 2nd-and-7 with 2:43 remaining in the first half, leading to the 1-yard Pierce TD. Defensive Player of the Quarter: Falcons LB Paul Worrilow came up with a third-down sack of Flacco, getting the ball back to his team’s offense, which was unable to get on the scoreboard in the second quarter. Third Quarter The third quarter saw more pressure on Ryan and more points for the Ravens, who pushed their lead to 20 points, following another 38-yard field goal by Tucker. Baltimore used seven plays to log 61 yards in 3:32, ending with the field goal make. The Falcons defense struck again late in the third quarter, when Alford grabbed his second interception of the day, picking off Flacco at the Falcons 1-yard line. The interception again led to no points as the Falcons offense faced a 4th-and-1 in Ravens territory, before Falcons RB Devonta Freeman caught a pass and was stopped short of the first down. Offensive Player of the Quarter: Ravens WR Steve Smith was explosive all game, including a 49-yard reception on 3rd-and-6 from Baltimore's 23-yard line, ending on Atlanta's 28-yard line. Defensive Player of the Quarter: Falcons CB Robert Alford With his team trailing by 20 points and the Ravens offense threatening again, Alford made the two-handed pick, preventing the deep throw that was intended for Daniels.Fourth Quarter Trailing in the fourth quarter, the Falcons offense got on the board in historic fashion, a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Falcons WR Roddy White. The score was White's 58th-career touchdown reception, a new team record. The Ravens later put a stamp on what would be a Week 7 win, when OLB Terrell Suggs sacked Ryan for a safety, pushing the Baltimore lead to 22-7. The scoring didn't stop there for the Ravens as Torrey Smith hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Flacco, leading to the 29-7 win. Offensive Player of the Quarter: Falcons WR Roddy White - The team's new franchise leader in touchdown receptions finished the contest with nine receptions for 100 yards and the historic 4-yard score. Defensive Player of the Quarter: Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs capped off an impressive showing by the Baltimore defense, sacking Ryan for the safety, finishing the contest with two tackles and the sack. Final Stats and Takeaways: Ryan was sacked five times in the contest for minus-42 yards. The Falcons finished 4-of-15 on third down (27-percent). Atlanta was penalized seven times for minus-76 yards. The Falcons now travel to London to face the Detroit Lions in Week 8 (10/26), with kickoff slated for 9:30 a.m. ET.

Falcons Fall to Ravens in Week 7, 29-7

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