Matt Ryan cut through the St. Louis Rams’ defense for a second drive in a row, but Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez couldn’t hold on to a third-and-five pass right in front of the end zone, leaving the team in position for a short field goal that put them up 13-10, their first lead of the afternoon.
The Falcons’ offense has heated up since a slow start that was held up by penalties. Ryan’s now 9-for-14 with 114 yards and a touchdown, a yards-per-attempt over eight. In getting the Falcons downfield for their field goal he connected on two consecutive 16-yard passes.
Meanwhile, the Rams have struggled to establish the running game—Steven Jackson was caught behind the line of scrimmage in a third-and-one after the Falcons’ field goal. He’s got six rushes for 19 yards with just five minutes to go before halftime.
Donnie Jones has been especially active this afternoon—he’s got three punts for a 41-yard average.