New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons Match Player Stats On Sep 29, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 30, 2013

Patriots 30, Falcons 23: Tom Brady passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns as visiting New England held off Atlanta in the final minute to remain undefeated.

Rookie Kenbrell Thompkins caught six passes for 127 yards and a touchdown and LeGarrette Blount ran for a score for the Patriots (4-0), who went over 23 points for the first time this season. Brady finished 20-of-31 despite again being without Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski.

Matt Ryan went 34-of-54 for 421 yards and two touchdowns but had his pass attempt to Roddy White in the end zone broken up by Aqib Talib with 35 seconds left as the Falcons (1-3) lost back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 6 and 13, 2009. Tony Gonzalez caught 12 passes for 149 yards and a pair of scores before being bottled up on the final possession.

New England grabbed a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter when Brady hit Matthew Mulligan for his first touchdown reception with the team. Brady’s 49-yard strike to Thompkins set up a field goal but Ryan hit Gonzalez with a 21-yard touchdown pass to send it into the break tied at 10.

Blount’s 47-yard touchdown run with 14:26 left made it a 20-10 gap and Thompkins’ tumbling touchdown catch with 9:43 left pushed it to 27-13. The Falcons looked done when Talib picked off Ryan on the next possession, but another touchdown pass to Gonzalez came before a recovered onside kick, and Brady fumbled a snap in Atlanta territory to give the Falcons their last chance.

GAME NOTEBOOK: New England DT Vince Wilfork was carted to the locker room in the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. After the game it was reported that he tore his right Achilles tendon. … Brady’s TD pass to Mulligan gave him at least one touchdown in 52 straight games, two shy of tying Drew Brees’ NFL record. … Atlanta LB Akeem Dent (ankle) left the game in the fourth quarter. Falcons LB Paul Worrilow (knee) left in the third.