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The Matt Ryan era opened up with a bang on Sunday as the Falcons beat the Lions 34-21 in the season opener.
Quarterback Matt Ryan’s first pass attempt of the season was a 62-yard strike to Michael Jenkins for a touchdown. Michael Turner rushed for a franchise-record 220 yards and scored two touchdowns.
A team looking for a fresh start under first year Head Coach Mike Smith scored on their first three offensive possessions and racked up 216 yards of total offense in the opening period.
A crowed of 62,310 at the Georgia Dome came out to see the new look Falcons, and it seemed that with each touchdown the memories of a tumultuous 2007 were erased.
Matt Ryan finished 9-of-13 with 161 passing yards, one touchdown, and a 137.0 quarterback rating.
Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood combined to run for a franchise-record 318 rushing yards.
The Falcons' defense came up big too. John Abraham sacked Lions' quarterback Jon Kitna three times, and Lawyer Milloy picked of Kitna on the opening drive of the third quarter, setting up a Jason Elm 50-yard field goal to make it 24-14.
The Falcons now shift the focus to division foe Tampa Bay who lost 24-20 to New Orleans on Sunday.
