The Atlanta Falcons impressed once again on Thursday night as they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a healthy scoreline.
Matt Ryan registered 343-yards and four-touchdowns in a performance that showed that he is at the very top of his game at the moment, leading an offence that is working like a well-oiled machine.
He was helped in his quest by Julio Jones, a man who was simply born to play football as he hauled in a pass from his quarterback right on the edge of the end zone, before getting both his feet down in bounds to make sure of the score.
Absolutely ridiculous, @Juliojones_11.
Insane catch. Two feet in. Unstoppable. 😳 #ATLvsTB #TNF https://t.co/XcAdAYXHQm
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2016
Although they were comprehensively outplayed in the 43-28 defeat, Mike Evans had a moment for his highlight reel as he went up high and hauled in a pass one-handed near the sideline.
.@MikeEvans13_. ONE HANDED.
Wow. 😨#ATLvsTB #TNF https://t.co/zveZCu8k3V
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2016
Both on the ground and through the air, the Atlanta offence is playing at a pace that the rest of the league is struggling to keep up with, and may well match the heights of "The Greatest Show on Turf."
The @AtlantaFalcons are averaging 6.8 yds per play this season, the most by any team since the 2000 Rams aka "The Greatest Show on Turf"
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) November 4, 2016
However, Atlanta fans will be cautious given what happened last season. After a strong start where they went 6-1 through to the end of October, they slid very suddenly and ended up not winning again until right before Christmas.
They finished the year with an 8-8 record, but something about this offence and the way they are playing means they may well avoid a similar slump this time around. However, as hot as their offence is right now, their defence will need to step up in the coming weeks.
The Falcons have scored 35 touchdowns, but have conceded 31 in the process, giving up just under 3500 total yards to their opponents during their first nine games. Outscoring the opposition is impressive when you can do it, but limiting their ability to make plays will be key for the Falcons in the postseason.
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