The Falcons' week four matchup with the Seahawks is now underway, and for Atlanta this is certainly a game they need to win in order to keep pace with the rest of the NFC South. The Falcons will be without defensive starters Jonathan Babineaux and Stephen Nicholas yet again, with Peria Jerry and Mike Peterson starting in their place.
Seattle got the ball on offense to begin the game, and the defense very quickly forced a three-and-out. After a quick seven-yard completion to Michael Robinson on first down, the Falcons did what eight Saints apparently could not do and tackled Marshawn Lynch. Good coverage of Zach Miller on caused Tarvaris Jackson to throw the ball away on third down, forcing a punt.
On offense, Mike Mularkey began the game in very typical fashion: two handoffs to Michael Turner, followed by a third-and-one rollout pass that went to Julio Jones for a first down. The Falcons continued their attempts to get Turner involved in the offense early, and on another third-and-one he punched through the middle to bring up a first down at the Seattle 46-yard line.
Then the Falcons matched their actions with what has been talked about all week: turning to the no-huddle offense early. Jacquizz Rodgers checked into the game, and got three straight carries with Matt Ryan calling plays. Ryan then hooked up with Roddy White for a 26-yard gain, and two plays later he found "best tight end in the universe" Tony Gonzalez in the end zone for a one-yard TD toss.
With that, the Falcons did just what they wanted by grabbing an early 7-0 lead on the road and taking the crowd out of the game. It's also worth noting that Matt Bosher has two touchbacks on two kickoffs. Good start, Falcons!