ATLANTA – The Falcons jumped out to a 10-0 lead after one quarter of Sunday's NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome on Sunday.
The Falcons took the ball first, and Packers S Kentrell Brice injured his shoulder (return questionable) making the tackle in the kickoff return.
Atlanta got on the board right away. The Falcons converted on third-and-6 with a 6-yard pass to WR Julio Jones and on third-and-11 with a 13-yard pass to WR Mohamed Sanu. On the next snap, FB Patrick DiMarco was left wide open in the right flat, and his 31-yard catch-and-run made it first-and-goal on the 5.
After two runs by RB Tevin Coleman moved the ball to the 2, QB Matt Ryan started to scramble and then flipped a shovel pass to Sanu for the TD. The Falcons took a 7-0 lead with 8:24 left in the quarter.
The Packers came right back but stalled out. Consecutive passes to WR Jordy Nelson gained 42 total yards to put the ball on the Atlanta 29. But on third-and-4, Falcons LB Deion Jones pressured QB Aaron Rodgers into a throwaway, and K Mason Crosby was wide right from 41 yards out, breaking his NFL record postseason field goal streak of 23 in a row.
The Falcons kept converting in long yardage. A 16-yard pass to Sanu on second-and-12 moved the chains, and then TE Austin Hooper was left wide open on third-and-7 for a 15-yard gain. Another 15-yard pass to Sanu made it first down on the Green Bay 22. A 10-yard swing pass to Coleman gave Atlanta another first down on the 12. Sanu took a shotgun snap in the wildcat and ran for 7 on the read-option to the 5. The Falcons false-started to set up third-and-8 from the 10, and Ryan's scrambling pass was incomplete.
K Matt Bryant was good from 28 yards out, and the Falcons led 10-0 with 14 seconds left in the quarter.
