Matt Ryan threw for a touchdown with his very first NFL pass, Michael Turner set a team rushing record in his Atlanta debut, and the Falcons were off and running Sunday.
Michael Vick who?
Having put No. 7 in their rearview mirror, the Falcons got off to a rousing start in their first game with Ryan and Turner. The rookie quarterback electrified the crowd with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins before many fans had settled in their seats, while Turner rumbled for 220 yards and two TDs after coming to Atlanta from San Diego in the off season.
The result was a 34-21 victory over the Detroit Lions, who bickered among themselves on the sideline and showed again that a perfect record in the preseason is downright meaningless when the games actually count. The Falcons scored on their first three possessions for a 21-0 lead. Ryan, the third overall selection in the draft, looked worthy of the starting job bestowed on him after just three preseason games; he completed his first five passes and finished a workmanlike 9-for-13 for 161 yards.
The running game did most of the damage, with Turner handling the bulk of the load. Atlanta's big free-agent signee broke off a 66-yard touchdown, scored again on a 5-yard romp and had another TD called back by a penalty. Even with that minor setback, he ran 22 times - averaging 10 yards per carry - to break the team record of 202 yards set by Gerald Riggs in 1984.
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