In a very even game so far, the New England Patriots are tied with the Atlanta Falcons 10-10 at halftime. Both Matt Ryan and Tom Brady have played very well so far, each throwing for a touchdown. Neither team has committed a turnover, although the Falcons did give the ball to the Patriots after failing to convert a 4th and 2 play from the Patriots 7 yard line.
The Patriots attack has been more balanced as they have 96 yards passing and 64 yards rushing. The Falcons have done most of their damage through the air as Ryan has 176 yards passing, 90 of which went to future Hall Of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez is having another monster game with 7 receptions and a touchdown in the first half alone.
Atlanta is 0-2 in the red zone which will have to change if they are going to take down the Patriots. Dan Patrick of NBC has pointed out that New England has yet to score a touchdown in the second half this season. I don’t anticipate that stat to continue to hold but it is worth noting.
I believe it is going to be vital that the Falcons seize momentum out of the gate. The crowd in the Georgia Dome can be very loud and if they can get rocking, it might rattle some of the young receivers on the Patriots. If Atlanta puts pressure on them, they may be able to get back to .500 on the season.