Falcons Repord Card: Big statement made with rout of Giants

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/nf...rout-of-giants

Falcons Repord Card: Big statement made with rout of Giants
By Mike Singer | CBSSports.com
December 16, 2012 7:56 pm ET

The Falcons dominated the New York Giants 34-0 on Sunday, the same team that knocked Atlanta from the postseason last year. All season the storyline had been that the Falcons had benefitted from an easy schedule and weren't actually as good as their record indicated. On Sunday, Atlanta finally played at the potential it's capable of and rocked the Giants on both sides of the ball.

Matt Ryan was masterful, completing 23 of 28 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns, and the Falcons posted their first shutout in the Georgia Dome since October 20, 2002. The defense, which has been hampered by injuries, forced three turnovers and held the Giants to just 256 yards.

Offense: A

Atlanta imposed its will on the Giants from the start, scoring touchdowns on consecutive drives to open up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The running-back trio of Michael Turner, Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling rushed for over 100 yards and Turner's touchdown gave him a score in five straight games. Ryan spread the ball out to eight different receivers and Atlanta converted 9 of 13 third downs, after completing just three total in the previous two weeks. The Giants tried single coverage on Julio Jones, who burned rookie cornerback Jayron Hosley for a 40-yard touchdown catch early in the second half and then hauled in another touchdown late in the game. The most impressive part of the Falcons' win was how they controlled the tempo of the game and didn't relent despite the big lead. Atlanta had the ball for 38:57 and used second half drives of 8, 12, and 13 plays to eat up the clock and eliminate any hope the Giants had of fighting back. Previous game's grade: C-

Defense: A

Cornerback Asante Samuel, who didn't play at all last week due to a shoulder injury, set the tone early when he intercepted Eli Manning on the second play of the game deep in Giants territory.

Safety Thomas DeCoud also snagged his career-high sixth interception when the Giants were threatening inside the red zone early in the second quarter. Almost by necessity, Giants coach Tom Coughlin opted to go for it on fourth down on three consecutive drives in the second and third quarters, and all three times the Falcons defense held strong, leaving the Giants with zero points on the board. Running back David Wilson was a non-factor and Atlanta blanketed Giants leading receiver Victor Cruz, who finished with just three catches for 15 yards. Previous game's grade: C-

Special teams: A-

Matt Bryant hit field goals from 38 yards and 19 yards to help bolster the offense, but with how efficient the offense was, special teams didn't play a major factor. Punt returner Dominque Franks did little on two opportunities, and nearly coughed up the ball, but after a Giants challenge, he was ruled down before the fumble. Previous game's grade: B

Coaching: A

After an awful gameplan last week led to a 30-20 loss to Carolina, the coaches diversified their play-calling and incorporated fresh play designs that fooled the Giants. There were many misdirection plays and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter played off of receivers Jones and Roddy White to get third wideout Harry Douglas involved in the game. Douglas finished with a game-high 83 yards on just three catches. Also, credit the coaches for not coasting when the team got ahead 17-0 at halftime. The balanced play-calling didn't get too conservative and helped extend the second half drives to keep Manning on the sidelines. It sounds simple, but, unlike last week, the Falcons relied on their strength, which is undoubtedly Ryan and the passing game. Previous game's grade: D

credit: cbssports.com