For the Falcons, it has been a great start in Seattle.
After taking a 7-0 lead on the road, Atlanta followed up their offensive success with another defensive stop. After giving up a 23-yard connection between Tarvaris Jackson and Sidney Rice on first down, the defense barely held on to force another 'Hawks punt. Some good pressure by Kroy Biermann forced Jackson out of the pocket on third down, and Corey Peters brought him down just short of the first-down marker.
On the ensuing offensive possession, the Falcons again began their drive with two running plays that featured Michael Turner. Then on third-and-three, Ryan floated a pass over to Julio Jones that went for a 14-yard gain and a first down. Ryan continued to exploit that matchup, finding Jones on a nine-yard completion only two plays later.
As the first quarter comes to a close, the Falcons looked to be in good position to extend their lead early on in this game. Ryan hooked up with Julio for the third time on the drive to bring up another third-and-short, but safety Atari Bigby was all over Tony Gonzalez. That would force a punt, and Matt Bosher continued his good play by pinning the Seahawks at their own 11-yard line. The Falcons still hold a 7-point lead early on in this football game.
For discussion, turn to Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Seahawks blog Field Gulls, plus SB Nation Seattle.