Atlanta Falcons: Five Reasons Atlanta Defeated The Cinncinati Bengals

On Sunday the Atlanta Falcons showed more than the fact that they have a pulse on offense.  They displayed the type of strength it is going to take in order to represent the NFC at the Super Bowl.  Despite blowing a 21-point lead, this team did not wilt under the pressure of a Bengals comeback and took control in the latter stages of the game to reach their fifth victory of the season.

Let's take a further look beyond the stat sheet into why Atlanta was able to walk out of the Georgia Dome victorious in a 39-32 victory.

1) Defense Made Big Plays to Halt The Bengals Momentum

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Carson Palmer #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals is sacked by John Abraham #55 of the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Believe it or not there was defense that was actually played in this game.  DE John Abraham led a tremendous effort by the front four on the defensive line by sacking QB Carson Palmer twice, the second one being the last play of the game. Also, the front four of the Falcons' line (which has been extremely underrated, by the way) held RB Cedric Benson to 70 yards rushing and kept the Bengals offense off balance all day. 

Even though the secondary was torched to over 400 yards passing by Palmer, they did come up with huge plays down the stretch.  CB Brian Williams, playing for an injured Dunta Robinson, picked up a Benson fumble and set up what ended up becoming the final touchdown that the Falcons would need to ensure victory.

One may look at the score and think that the Falcons didn't play physical defense yesterday against a talented Bengals team, but they did a great job of keeping this offense off balance and forcing turnovers when it was needed.

2) Michael Turner Burned Through The Bengals' Defense

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Michael Turner #33 of the Atlanta Falcons rushes away from Keith Rivers #55 and Leon Hall #29 of the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Falcons are a running team, and in order to run their offense successfully they must get a consistent effort from their running game, especially from Michael Turner.  Yesterday he more than buoyed the offense by rushing for 121 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, the last one putting the game away.

It was his ability to take advantage of open holes by the offensive line that gave Atlanta a much needed score against a stout Bengals defense.  This goes back to Coach Mike Smith's plan to rest him more and give the other backs such as Jason Snelling the opportunity to carry the ball, making him more effective in the fourth quarter.

3) Matt Ryan Keeps His Cool

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Matt Ryan had his best game of the season, throwing for almost 300 yards with 3 TDs, but it was in large part due to his ability to keep the team afloat after the Bengals rallied and scored 22 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter.

Here is what he said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the game: "Nobody panicked," Ryan said. "Nobody blinked an eye." He continued to execute flawlessly, even after the interception which led to a Bengals TD, and the rest of the team followed suit.

Take a look at the best QBs in the league and observe what they had in common.  They can take a lick but continue to find ways to lead their teams to victory, because they possess such a commanding presence in the huddle that their teammates believe in them. This is why the Falcons responded so easily when they surrendered the lead, most of it due to turnovers by the offense.

Ryan has continued to take steps forward as he has led this team to the best record in the NFC.  It is his leadership that will continue to carry the Falcons into the second half of what may be a very successful season.

4) Roddy White Steals The Show!

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons dives for more yardage against the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Hot Rod was ready to show his stuff when he knew that reality show hosts Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco would be roaming the field.  He responded by making circus catch after circus catch and resulted in over 200 yards receiving, including a nice leaping catch for the two-point conversion.

Roddy White dominated the Bengals secondary, and continued to dominate even after his fumble led to a Pacman Jones TD. On a team that desperately needs playmakers he took his game to another level for a team that had to win yesterday.

Many people (including yours truly) predicted that White would take his spot as one of the league's premiere receivers this season, and he has lived up to expectations, as has the Falcons.

5) Mental Toughness

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 03: Head coach Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons against the San Francisco 49ers at Georgia Dome on October 3, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

This is the result of having competent leadership on the sidelines as well as in the huddle.  Coach Mike Smith and his staff have developed a culture of toughness which results in being able to withstand taking hits from their opponents and usually bouncing back successfully.  Outside of the Philadelphia defeat, there hasn't been a game this year in which the Falcons have been out of any contest, and that is in large part thanks to their head coach.

When they went into the huddle after blowing the lead, they didn't falter but instead rallied to defeat the Bengals because Smith was able to keep this team afloat, which will be crucial when they play superior teams such as Baltimore and Green Bay later this year.