Atlanta Falcons vs Detroit Lions Box Score on Oct 23, 2011

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 23, 2011

Matt Ryan rushed for one touchdown and threw another, leading the visiting Atlanta Falcons to a 23-16 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Michael Turner recorded his fourth 100-yard game of the season and Tony Gonzalez moved into second place on the all-time receptions list as Atlanta (4-3) won consecutive games for the first time this season.

Detroit (5-2), meanwhile, has lost two straight since getting off to its best start in 55 years.

One week after Lions coach Jim Schwartz’s postgame dust-up with San Francisco’s Jim Harbaugh dominated the headlines, Schwartz and Atlanta coach Mike Smith met at midfield for a peaceful handshake after the game concluded.

There were some antics before the game, as the two teams got in a tussle about 20 minutes prior to kickoff. No punches were thrown, but there was plenty of jawing and jostling. Once the game began, the Falcons spent most of the afternoon quieting the Lions' raucous crowd.

Atlanta never trailed after Ryan’s quarterback sneak late in the first quarter made it 10-3. The Falcons extended their to 17-6 after Ryan capped a seven-play, 81-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White just prior to halftime.

The Lions were driving for the game-tying score when a key pass-interference call was overturned after it was determined the ball had been tipped. One play later, Matthew Stafford’s fourth-down pass hit off the hands of Brandon Pettigrew and Atlanta was able to run the clock out.

Stafford’s streak of at least two touchdown passes ended at eight games. His 57-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson cut the deficit to 20-16 with 1:57 left in the third, but Detroit couldn’t pull off another comeback.

The Falcons got a scare when Ryan left briefly in the third quarter after one of his offensive linemen stepped on his ankle. He returned the next series.