Falcons vs. Broncos: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

If Paxton Lynch falls in line with John Elway and Peyton Manning among the greatest Denver Broncos quarterbacks in history, odds are all recaps will skip over his first career start.

Lynch and the Broncos offense were stymied all day Sunday, as the Atlanta Falcons spoiled the rookie's home debut with a 23-16 victory.

Matt Ryan threw for 267 yards and a touchdown, while Devonta Freeman added a score on the ground. Leading the NFL in total yards and points coming into Week 5, Atlanta's offense took a bit of a backseat to a surprisingly solid turn from its defense. 

Lynch went 23-of-35 passing for 223 yards, threw an interception and fumbled twice. Denver's offense had five drives of five or fewer plays. Most of Lynch's production came in a fourth-quarter scramble with the Falcons already up by three scores.

Sports Pickle threw a jab Brock Osweiler's way while discussing Lynch's debut:

The Falcons brought Lynch down for six sacks after recording only four through the first quarter of the season. Vic Beasley was responsible for 3.5 of those sacks, in what was by far the best game of his young career. The 2015 first-round pick had just four sacks as a rookie.

Cian Fahey isn't entirely convinced of the breakout:

"

All Vic Beasley needed was a backup RT and backup QB.

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) October 9, 2016"

Nor was Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders, regarding Atlanta's defense as a whole: 

The Falcons entered Week 5 giving up 31 points per game and having not allowed fewer than 28 in any contest. Lynch at times looked like every bit the long-term project he was expected to be out of college. He was indecisive in the pocket, tried fitting throws into tight windows and was a clear downgrade from Trevor Siemian, whom some wanted benched earlier this season.

When Lynch clicked, though, you could begin to see the potential. He found Demaryius Thomas for a late-game touchdown and hit Emmanuel Sanders seven times for 80 yards. Thomas finished with 49 yards on his five receptions.

The Falcons, meanwhile, may have provided a blueprint for dealing with Denver's stout defense. Ryan completed 15 of his 28 passes, focusing on intermediate routes while the Broncos swarmed Julio Jones. Running back Tevin Coleman led the team with 132 yards on four receptions, doing most of his work after the catch. Freeman grabbed three balls of his own, producing 35 yards.

Atlanta clearly targeted Denver's linebackers in the passing game rather than setting up downfield plays that tested the secondary. Jones, coming off a record-setting 300-yard performance, was held to 29 yards on two receptions. That breakout game against the Carolina Panthers notwithstanding, opposing teams have gone out of their way to bracket him in coverage.

DraftKings summed up the fantasy owner perspective:

Freeman had surprising success in the run game, tallying 88 yards on 23 carries. None of those attempts went for longer than 15, but Freeman was able to keep the sticks moving with a series of solid gains.

The win brings the Falcons to 4-1 on the season, including a 3-0 mark on the road. Their only loss came in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which looks eye-opening given their opposite trajectories at this point. 

Up next is their toughest test of the season: a road tilt in Seattle against the Seahawks, who will be well-rested coming off their bye. Seattle has not given up more than 18 points in a game yet this season and should be closer to full health with Russell Wilson getting a week to rest.

As for the Broncos, they'll get no reprieve. They play Thursday night on the road in San Diego, which makes it all the more likely Lynch will get his second straight start. The Oakland Raiders are already making things interesting in the AFC West, and grinding out another game with Lynch could put Denver in danger of second-place status. 

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Post-Game Reaction

Gary Kubiak and Russell Okung commented on the offensive line, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post:

Siemian added his thoughts on Lynch:

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.