Falcons at Rams: Highlights, score and recap

The Atlanta Falcons headed into their matchup with the Los Angeles Rams as 5.5 point favorites, though they would win by much more than that.

In our preview, we stated that this game could get out of hand early. And while it does not take a football guru to make that prediction, that was definitely the case, as the Atlanta Falcons went into Los Angeles and throttled the Rams. The Falcons raced out to a 42-0 lead against the home Rams, and while Los Angeles scored some meaningless points in the fourth quarter, this game was a blowout.

Quarterback Matt Ryan continued his potential MVP season against the Rams, throwing for 237 yards and three touchdowns in the game. He threw two of his scores in the first half, as the Falcons headed into the locker room with a 21-0 lead. The game would seriously get out of hand in the third quarter, as Atlanta put another 21 points on the board thanks to a tremendous effort on both sides of the ball.

Atlanta scored two defensive touchdowns in the game, returning a Jared Goff interception for six, and then scoring on a Vic Beasley fumble recovery. In a game where the team got nothing from star running back Devonta Freeman, it was total domination, as fellow running back Tevin Coleman picked up the slack. Coleman scored via the pass and the rush on Sunday, as the Falcons kept pace with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

For Los Angeles, there were not many highlights, as most of their statistics came with the game well out of reach. As is the case with any rookie, Goff struggled mightily against a fired up Atlanta Falcons defense. Goff did show some potential late in the game, but by then, a victory was far out of reach. The Rams fell to 4-9 on the season, as their disappointing first year in Los Angeles is finally coming to an end.

1. Atlanta Falcons defense

Usually we will put individual players in this spot, but on Sunday, it was the Atlanta Falcons defense that made all the defense in their matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Not only did the defense hold the Rams scoreless until the fourth quarter, when the game was completely out of hand, but they scored two big touchdowns during the team’s 42-0 run. It was a great effort from a unit that has had its fair share of rough outings over the past few months.

The team is in a dogfight with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the division title, and with the team without Julio Jones on Sunday, it was very important for them to key the Rams at bay. Los Angeles is one of the worst offensive teams we have seen in a while, but they are an NFL team, and anytime you can hold a team scoreless through three quarters it is impressive. Atlanta has an easy road the rest of the way, and they will welcome the equally terrible San Francisco 49ers to town in Week 15.

2. Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan continues to pass his way up the leaderboard in the NFL, and though he did not throw for a ton of yards on Sunday, it was his three touchdowns through the first three quarters that helped seal the win. The fact of the matter was he did not have to throw it a lot against the Rams, though it was still impressive to see him play so well without Julio Jones. Ryan is a contender for the NFL MVP this season, and on Sunday, he showed why.

Ryan completed 18-of-28 passes in the game for 237 yards to go along with his three scores. The 31-year old had his highest touchdown total since the team’s Week 9 victory at Tampa Bay. He is going to have to continue his strong play if the Falcons are going to make a serious run through the playoffs, and it certainly looks like that may be the case.

3. Tevin Coleman

On a day where the team got six yards rushing from Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman picked up the slack in the backfield. The versatile backup scored twice on Sunday, once through the air, and once on the ground, leading the Falcons offensively. The Falcons proved they can win without getting anything from their two biggest offensive weapons, and Coleman just may be the X-factor come playoff time.

At only 23-years old, Coleman has the ability to be a big-time back in this league. Despite missing three games due to injury, Coleman has nine touchdowns this season, and has been a nice change of pace out of the backfield. The Falcons are absolutely loaded on offense, and if Coleman can keep up his production, they would go into the playoffs with arguably the best 1-2 running back punch in the NFC.

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Odds

The Atlanta Falcons are nearly a touchdown favorite this Sunday, as they will be giving the Rams 5.5 points. This one is headed for blowout status, so the good money should be on the over. The over/under is set at 44.5.

Next Week

The Los Angeles Rams will head to Seattle for another tough matchup against the Seahawks. The Falcons return home to take on a San Francisco 49ers team that is playing for the No. 1 overall pick in next April’s draft.