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

A week off sure didn’t slow down the Atlanta Falcons’ blistering offense.

Matt Ryan threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, and the Atlanta defense held on for a few critical stops, as the Falcons earned a 38-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Ryan failed to throw for 300 yards for the fourth time in five games, with the Cardinals bracketing Julio Jones and forcing underneath throws. He once again settled in and took what the defense gave him, completing 26 of his 34 passes to extend drives and keep the Cardinals off the field.

Ryan even scrambled four times for 15 yards, which drew this unfortunate comparison from the Falcoholic:

Matt Ryan scrambling like an overweight cat down a flight of stairs

— The Falcoholic (@TheFalcoholic) November 27, 2016

Taylor Gabriel was on the receiving end of both Ryan touchdown passes, leading the Falcons with 75 yards on four receptions. Gabriel, Justin Hardy and Mohamed Sanu were left to take over in the passing attack with Jones greatly limited by Arizona’s defensive game plan.

Both of Gabriel’s scores came on screen plays he broke for big yardage. ESPN Stats & Info highlighted the rarity of his day:

Taylor Gabriel is the 2nd player in last 5 seasons to score twice on screens that each gained 20+ yards (Jamaal Charles, 2013 vs Raiders) pic.twitter.com/K1IyPzNb5m

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 27, 2016

ESPN’s Louis Riddick made an astute point:

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