For once this season, the Falcons have not allowed their lead to diminish in the third quarter. While that may be more a testament to the ineptitude of the Colts offense, it is nevertheless good to see the Falcons winning convincingly (as expected).
What's impressive is unlike the first half, the Falcons were able to produce one of those long, methodical drives they are known for. On their second possession of the half, Matt Ryan settled down after a shaky first half and orchestrated 12-play scoring drive that took over 7:30 off the clock. And who else would come through as Mr. Clutch on the drive but Tony Gonzalez?
While Michael Turner lost some effectiveness this quarter, Gonzalez caught three passes for 32 yards on the drive, including a one-yard TD that would extend the Falcons lead to 28-7.
On the other side of the ball, Sean Weatherspoon has been absolutely all over the place. Both he and Curtis Lofton have combined for 11 tackles and 9 assists on defense. For 'Spoon, this is just another impressive performance in what has been a breakout year for the sophomore linebacker. In fact, on the only Colts possession of the quarter he made all three stops on defense. Wow.
Beyond that, it's been business as usual. Barring a catastrophic breakdown, the Falcons will head into next week with a 5-3 record and a bump up to second place in the NFC South.
For more on the Falcons, head to The Falcoholic; for more on the Colts, visit Stampede Blue.