The Atlanta Falcons are 5-0, but it wasn’t easy.
On a rainy autumn day in Washington, the Redskins led for much of the game and appeared poised to be the first team to knock the Falcons off. But Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Julio Jones, and Falcons kicker Matt Bryant nailed a 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, as Atlanta escaped undefeated.
As alarming as losing the game for the Redskins was losing quarterback Robert Griffin III, who took a hard hit and left the game in the third quarter. The Redskins didn’t offer any details about the nature of Griffin’s injury other than that he was “shaken up,” but Griffin took the kind of hard hit to the head that often causes a concussion.
Griffin’s backup Kirk Cousins threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss, but he also threw two interceptions late in the fourth quarter, sealing the loss for Washington.
The Falcons got a big game from tight end Tony Gonzalez, and Ryan completed 34 of 52 passes for 345 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. This wasn’t always a pretty game for the Falcons, but for the first time in franchise history, they’re 5-0.