Getty ImagesFalcons fans will spend the next 12 minutes slightly less anxious than they would have been.
After watching a 17-point lead quickly evaporate to three, the Falcons drove 80 yards in seven plays in only 90 seconds to push the lead to 24-14 at halftime.
Quarterback Matt Ryan led the home team methodically down the field, completing six of seven passes and capping the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez.
For the half, receiver Julio Jones has 135 receiving yards, which puts him only 105 yards short of the single-game postseason receiving yardage record of 240, set by Bills receiver Eric Moulds in 1998. Matt Ryan has 271 yards passing, which puts him on pace for an all-time postseason record of 542 yards.
The 49ers get the ball to start the half, which means they could cut the lead back down to three. And, like Arena Football, this one ultimately will be determined by which team can muster a key stop on defense at some point in the final 30 minutes.
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Falcons will find a way to blow this.
The 49ers secondary is being exposed, no big time heat, no big time coverage.
Why is the Falcons’ defense basically ignoring coverage responsibilities on #85? Redressing that matter would be a nice starting point in terms of half-time adjustments.
271 yards 3TD’s. Matt Ryan shredded that big bad 49ers D in the first half!
Great game so far. Not the blowout pundits were predicting.
San Fran’s four man rush looks pretty lame.
Thank god someone thought to put “call me maybe” on full blast in the dome!! Everyone knows that’s Matt Ryan’s TD drive anthem…
Kapernick is not going to have the success he had against the Packers, the Falcons run a 4-3 that is better suited on stopping running QB’s
Even if the Falcons lose (like I still expect), how sick to the stomach are Brown fans? What did they get in that trade for Jones?
Then, they didn’t jump the couple of spots when they had the most ammunition to go up and get Griffin.
Think those two moves might have brought some sunshine to the Factory of Sadness?
That Falcons defense is just awful.
Kaep and Ryan are putting on an old fashioned qb duel. Neither defense can stop these guys.
“breathing room”?? or just enough room to choke!!