It took a while, but the Falcons finally managed to get some offense on the board.
Of course, this would come after the defense allowed T.J. Yates to orchestrate a seven-play, 80-yard scoring drive that would put the Texans up 10-0. After putting the Texans offense in a third-and-long situation, a dump-off pass to Arian Foster would go for 28 yards and a first down.
And then Andre Johnson happened. Yates would hit Johnson- matched up against stand-in cornerback Dominique Franks- on a 50-yard pass caught all the way down at the Atlanta four-yard line. Franks' coverage was actually pretty solid, but this is also arguably the best receiver in the league. Three plays later, Yates found Joel Dreessen on a three-yard touchdown toss that would be the defining moment of this first half.
As for the Falcons, it was mostly more of the same. However, Ryan was able to lead the team on a 10-play, 79-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. Tony Gonzalez came up huge, catching three passes for 51 yards on the drive. But the Falcons would come up just short of putting seven on the board, instead electing to kick a field goal from the Texans' one-yard line.
And that's how things would stay, with the Texans entering halftime holding a 10-3 lead on the Falcons. Given how poorly they've played on offense (turnovers, dropped passes, inability to run the ball), the Falcons should feel very fortunate to only be down by one touchdown.
But if the Falcons want to win this one, Mike Mularkey has to make some adjustments at halftime. If the offense has their usual third-quarter ineptitude, then you can probably kiss a win good bye.
For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic; for more Texans, head over to Battle Red Blog.