The first half of this game was a close contest, with both offenses moving the ball with ease.
But in the second half, this game was all Falcons. Mike Nolan and his defense made some fantastic second-half adjustments, forcing three Matt Cassel turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble) as they held the Chiefs to seven points after the halfway point in this game.
While the running game was noticeably absent from the offensive success- Michael Turner was held to 32 yards on 11 carries- Matt Ryan was on fire. He finished the day 23-of-31 passing for 299 yards through the air and four touchdowns (three passing, one running).
Julio Jones and Roddy White both had big games as well. They combined for 12 catches and 195 yards receiving in the season opener, including two TD snags made by Jones.
Overall, this was a real muscle-flexer for the Falcons. They looked really impressive against a quality Chiefs squad, and should continue to impress next week as they head home to face the Broncos on Monday Night Football.
For more updates on the game Falcons fans should stay right here at SB Nation Atlanta. For more analysis, visit The Falcoholic, and Chiefs fans should check out Arrowhead Pride; for more news and notes from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub page.