Atlanta Falcons

Falcons at Raiders: Highlights, score and recap

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Falcons went into the Black Hole and dominated on Sunday, defeating the Oakland Raiders 35-28.

The Oakland Raiders came into Sunday’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons as the favorites, though they looked nothing like it in the first half, why with the offense struggling to move the ball and special teams succumbing to miscues. After Sebastian Janikowski fell short of hitting a field goal as time expired in the second quarter, the Silver and Black headed into halftime down 13-7.

Both teams went scoreless in the first quarter, as the offenses looked a bit timid to start out. In Week 1, both teams scored a ton of points, so it was interesting to see them both start out so slow. In the second quarter, the Falcons finally got it going on offense, as Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones for a touchdown that was bookended by a pair of field goals.

The third quarter featured touchdowns from two tight ends, as Atlanta’s Jacob Tamme, and Oakland’s Clive Walford both reached the endzone. The Raiders scored first in the final frame, going for it on fourth down, as Derek Carr hit Michael Crabtree for the score. The touchdown tied the game at 21-21, and set the stage for a great finish.

Matt Ryan picked up his third touchdown of the game to put the Falcons up 28-21, as a deflected pass was caught by Justin Hardy in the endzone. The Raiders appeared to tie the game later in the quarter, but Amari Cooper actually went out of bounds and came back in, and the officials negated his 50-plus yard touchdown. Oakland went for it on fourth down on the next play, but their short run was stopped.

Atlanta tacked on another touchdown to make it 35-21, rolling to its first win of their season. The Raiders tried to make it a game, scoring a late touchdown, but they simply ran out of time. It was a bad loss for a team that is hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Highlights

3 Stars

1. Matt Ryan

Ryan is having quite a season in 2016, as he continued to put up solid numbers Sunday. After throwing for over 330 yards in a losing effort in Week 1, Ryan was actually able to put one in the win column on Sunday.

Ryan did a great job of staying cool under pressure, particularly in a hostile environment like the Black Hole. He worked all of his weapons well, and every time the Raiders looked like they were coming back, Ryan would step on their throat. He has one of the best wide receivers in the league, but he got everyone involved on Sunday.

The Falcons are not expected to be competitive in 2016, but if Ryan plays the way he did on Sunday, they are going to be just fine. Their defense does struggle, but they have a plethora of weapons on offense.

2. Julio Jones

Jones came into the game with a bad wheel, but he still managed to burn the Oakland Raiders. Everyone knows Jones is one of the best wide receivers in the league, and on Sunday, he put on a show in the second half.

Jones racked up 76 yards receiving over the final two frames, as the Falcons took control of the game. He showed no ill effects from his ankle injury that put him on the injury report all week. When the Falcons needed a big play, there was No. 11 burning the Oakland secondary.

Last season, Jones led the league in receptions and yards, while averaging the most yards per contest. On Sunday, he looked like he just may repeat that effort in 2016. The Raiders have shown through two weeks that they cannot defend the pass, and Jones was the main beneficiary in Week 2.

3. Latavius Murray

If any member of the Silver and Black gets to be mentioned as a star of the game it was Latavius Murray. He tried to put the team on his back on Sunday, running through and around the Falcons defense. He is a downhill runner, who put together a solid effort in the loss.

Murray ran for 57 yards on eight carries, but he had a nice touchdown run as well. In the passing game, Murray caught six balls for 44 yards, serving as a nice safety blanket for Carr all game long. He made some nice catches out of the backfield, and helped spread the defense.

The Raiders have a nice three-back set, with Murray, DeAndre Washington, and Jalen Richard. However, Murray is the lifeblood of the offense, and is the reason Carr and his band of receivers are able to put up big numbers. He did all he could to help the team win on Sunday, but it just was not enough.

Next Week

Oakland hits the road in Week 3, as they travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans. Atlanta will play a nationally televised game on Monday Night Football on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

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