Best & Worst of last night’s game
WORST TIMING: LeGarrette Blount had the ball knocked from his grasp by Falcons linebacker Deion Jones, and it was recovered by Robert Alford to stop a promising Pats drive in the second quarter.
BEST IMITATION OF A SIEVE: The Patriots' run defense was nonexistent on the Falcons' first touchdown drive, which culminated in a 5-yard touchdown run by Devonta Freeman.
BEST EXTENSIONS: The Pats converted three third downs thanks to defensive holding calls on the same drive in the second quarter.
WORST DECISION: Brady threw the ball right into the lap of Alford, who undercut a route by Danny Amendola and returned the pick 82 yards for a touchdown with 2:21 to go in the second quarter.
WORST AIR-MAIL: Brady missed a wide-open Julian Edelman crossing deep over the middle of the field on a first-down pass with under two minutes to go in the first half.
WORST GRAB: With a critical holding call, tight end Martellus Bennett wiped out a completion to James White that would have put the ball inside the 5-yard line, as the Pats settled for a 41yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski late in the first half.
BEST PERFORMANCE: Lady Gaga put on a show worth remembering in a flashy halftime rendition of her hits, after dropping down to the stage from suspended cables.
WORST MISMATCH: Rob Ninkovich had the unenviable task of covering Tevin Coleman, and the Falcons running back torched his man on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan.
WORST TRICK PLAY: A double pass by Edelman in the third quarter fooled no one and fell incomplete.
WORST BOOT: Gostkowski missed the extra point after the Patriots scored their first touchdown in the third quarter.
BEST SPARK: Dont'a Hightower's sack and forced fumble led to an Alan Branch recovery that set up a touchdown pass to Amendola in the fourth.
BEST CATCH: Julio Jones' incredible, sprawling grab and subsequent toe-tap by the Patriots sideline for a 27-yard gain in the fourth quarter was about as good as it gets.
BEST PUSHBACK: Trey Flowers' 12-yard sack of Ryan in the fourth quarter pushed the Falcons out of field-goal range and gave the Pats a chance at a tying score.
BEST TIP DRILL: Edelman somehow caught the ball among three Falcons defenders after it was deflected on a 23yard completion.