12:08 am September 18, 2012, by
September 17, 2012 - Atlanta, Ga.,: Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) shows his frustration with running back Willis McGahee, right, after Manning is sacked by the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of their game in the Georgia Dome Monday night in Atlanta, Ga., September 17, 2012. JASON GETZ / JGETZ@AJC.COM
Is Peyton Manning washed up?
It sure looked like it early against the Falcons and the nation was able to witness his floating passes on Monday Night Football.
The Falcons used Manning’s mistakes to jump on the Broncos and held on for a 27â€"21 victory before a raucous crowd of 70,427 at the Georgia Dome.
The Falcons improved to 2-0. Denver dropped to 1-1.
Manning, the premier quarterback of his day, was out of the league for 20 months after undergoing neck surgeries. He was released by his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, and is trying to resurrect his career in Denver.
In this battle of no-huddle offenses, one operated by Manning, the master, and Matt Ryan, the newer kid on the block, the Falcons prevailed.
The Falcons’ secondary was ready for Manning and his legendary resume, hand gestures and play calling.
The Broncos opened the game in their vaunted no-huddle attack, but were stymied by the Falcons’ coverages. The Falcons intercepted three of his passes and caused a fumble by former Georgia standout Knowshon Moreno to halt another drive.
On Manning’s first pass of the game, cornerback Dunta Robinson was in coverage and forced the ball out. Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon nearly came up with an interception. After a run for a loss of 2 yards on a run by Willis McGahee, strong safety William Moore intercepted Manning’s pass intended for tight end Jacob Tamme and returned it to Denver’s 1-yard line.
It took the Falcons, who struggled with their short yardage runs last season, three plays to get running back Michael Turner into the end zone to make it 7-0.
After those three plays, Falcons coach Mike Smith addressed the offensive line as a group on the sideline.
Manning’s struggled continued.
He completed a pass to Brandon Stokeley before being sacked by Weatherspoon. On his next throw down the field, free safety Thomas DeCoud intercepted the pass and returned it 15 yards to Denver’s 33-yard line.
Manning was trying to connect with wide receiver Eric Decker on the play.
The Falcons drove to the 19, but Julio Jones dropped an apparent touchdown pass in the end zone on third down. Matt Bryant made a 37-yard field goal to put the Falcons up 10-0 with 9:46 left in the first quarter.
On Denver’s third possession, Manning, apparently determined to show he could still throw the ball down the field, was intercepted again. This time, backup cornerback Robert McClain, who was in for Asante Samuel, intercepted a pass intended for Stokely and returned it 32 yards to Atlanta’s 47 yard line.
The Falcons couldn’t convert McClain’s interception into any points and were forced to punt.
On Denver’s next drive, Manning didn’t try a throw into the teeth of the Falcons’ nickel defense and the Broncos were forced to punt.
The game took a turn for the bizarre near the end of the first quarter, as the replacement officials struggled to maintain control on a routine fumble and pile up play.
After linebacker Stephen Nicholas forced Moreno to fumble mayhem broke out after the play. The officials never made an announcement and were slow to clear up the pile. Denver coach John Fox got in the middle of the action and riled up his team.
Samuel got into a pushing match with Denver guard Zane Beadles. Defensive end Ray Edwards got heated and traded shots with Denver’s Derek Wolfe and drew a penalty. Denver’s J.D. Walton was seen touching an official.
When order was finally restored, the Falcons had the ball at their 17-yard line. The drive stalled at Denver’s 24 and Bryant added a 42-yard field goal to make it 13-0.
The defense forced another punt and the Falcons offense put together their first sustained drive og the game operating from the no-huddle.
Ryan masterfully connected with Harry Douglas, White, Tony Gonzalez as they marched down to Denver’s 1. Ryan tossed a touchdowns pass to Gonzalez. Bryant added the extra point to make it 20-0 with 4:33 left in the first half.
Manning and the Broncos finally cobbled together a drive, which was aided by a fourth-and-1 pass interference call on Dominique Franks, who was in at nickel back for Christopher Owens. He left the game with a head injury, which normally is reported as a concussion.
Nine plays later, Manning tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, which was at first ruled incomplete.
Three of the replacement officials’ calls on the field were reversed by replay officials in the booth in the first half.
The Falcons elected to play Manning with their nickel defense and heavily rotated in their defensive linemen in the first half.
In the nickel, defensive end Ray Edwards and middle linebacker Akeem Dent are on the bench.
Edwards got in the game when the second line of defensive linemen went in with 5:37 left in the first quarter. Edwards, Lawrence Sidbury and defensive tackle Vance Walker replaced John Abraham, Kroy Biermann and Peria Jerry.
The Falcons added a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Roddy White in the third quarter to take a 27-7 lead.
Denver capped a 12-play, 88-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by McGahee in the fourth quarter.
After the offense was forced to punt, the defense came up with a stop when Moore, who had a stellar game, sacked Manning on third down.
The offense received the ball back with 7:22 left, but couldn’t burn off any clock and were forced to punt. Manning got the ball back on Atlanta’s 45 with 6:13 left.
Manning drove the Broncos in for another score. Willis McGahee capped a 9-play, 45-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:48 left in the game.
Jones atoned for two earlier dropped passes by picking up a key first down to help the Falcons run out the clock .
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