Falcons Circle For Lions Kill
Michael Vick connected with tight end Alge Crumpler on two of touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons romped to a 27-7 victory over the Detroit Lions. Todd Peterson kicked two field goals to improve to 16-of-16 this season for Atlanta (7-4), who snapped a two-game losing streak.
The loss was the fourth in five games for the Lions (4-7).
Atlanta linebacker Keith Brooking says it's a treat to watch his team's running attack in games because it's miserable to play against it in practice. "They just pound guys," Brooking says. "And in the third and fourth quarter, you have a 250-pounder (Duckett) rolling up on you."
The Lions had no answer to the Falcons (7-4) who rolled through them on Thursday, with 256 yards and a victory in this 66th annual Thanksgiving game.
It was the fifth time this season that Atlanta have rushed for more than 200 yards in a game. With 2,014 yards this season, Atlanta even has an outside shot at rushing for 3,000 yards.
Against the Lions, Warrick Dunn had 116 yards in 17 carries and the 254-pound Duckett totaled 72 on 19 tries. Elusive quarterback Michael Vick rushed for 57 yards on six carries.
"The guys just have such different styles that it's like a changeup," Brooking said. "For a defensive player, there is probably nothing worse."
Coach Jim Mora was particularly pleased with the running game because it put up impressive numbers against what he called "an outstanding front."
Considering that the Falcons were on the road after a short week of practice and two difficult home losses, this was a big win, "It's a sign of maturity and a sign of resilience," Mora said.
The Lions (4-7) are getting some heavy criticism in their home-town because of their expectations coming into the season. They tried three quarterbacks against the Falcons, including rookie Dan Orlovsky.
"We made too many mistakes again," said starting quarterback for Detroit, Joey Harrington, who was 6 for 13 for 61 yards and an interception.
