Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden (20) runs up field as Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Peria Jerry (94) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in Atlanta.ATLANTA – It’s not exactly the grits-blitz of the 1980s, but this season’s Falcons defense is proving to be plenty gritty in its own right. While the normally big-play offense sputtered for much of the day, Atlanta’s opportunistic defense took center stage Sunday against the Raiders, helping extend the franchise’s best start to a season to 6-0.
Regardless of how it happens, you don’t argue with being undefeated this deep into a season in the NFL, and these imperfectly perfect Falcons continue to simply find a way to grind out wins.
Matt Ryan, who had been talked about as the league’s MVP going into Sunday, never looked comfortable against the Raiders rush, throwing three first-half interceptions, and the Falcons also failed to convert three third-and-one situations, including once from inside the 1-yard line.
But a flock of Falcons defenders brought the Georgia Dome crowd to its feet, before Matt Bryant sent them home happy with his second final-second, game-winning field goal in three weeks.
The Raiders’ first six possessions of the second half ended in either a turnover or a punt and Atlanta had seven tackles for loss, three by Jonathan Babineaux, while ageless defensive end Jonathan Abraham had three sacks and two quarterback pressures. Ray Edwards and Robert McClain each returned fumbles deep into Raiders territory to set up scoring opportunities, but it was the newest Falcons defender, cornerback Asante Samuel that came up biggest in the clutch when he stepped in front of a Carson Palmer pass and returned it 79-yards with 2:40 remaining for a TD to snap a 13-all tie.