Defensive TD helps Falcons top Seahawks
Matt Ryan threw two touchdown passes, Adrian Clayborn returned a fumble 10 yards for a score and the Falcons held off a late rally to beat the Seahawks 34-31 in Seattle on Monday night.
Atlanta (6-4) stayed in the hunt for an NFC playoff spot, thanks to its second straight victory and handed Seattle a second consecutive home loss.
Ryan threw TD passes to Mohamed Sanu and Levine Toilolo, and Tevin Coleman added a 1-yard TD run on Atlanta’s opening possession. Clayborn’s fumble return early in the second quarter gave Atlanta a 21-7 lead. He scooped up a loose ball after Russell Wilson was crunched by Takk McKinley and Courtney Upshaw.
Seattle (6-4) attempted a late rally down by 11 points. Blair Walsh’s 52-yard field-goal try with two seconds left came up short.
Wilson again was almost the entirety of Seattle’s offense, throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and running for another 86 yards and a TD. Musgrave promoted: The Broncos fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and replaced him with quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave. Klint Kubiak will become quarterbacks coach and Musgrave, whom the Raiders fired in January after one season as offensive coordinator, will call plays for the final six weeks of a soured season that began with promise. The Broncos are mired in a six-game losing streak, their longest in a single season since 1990.
“I have a responsibility to do what’s best for our football team,” head coach Vance Joseph said. “Although this wasn’t an easy decision, we needed to make this change. We have to play a more efficient brand of football offensively as we begin the final stretch of our season.”
The Broncos are 3-7, and McCoy had drawn increasing scrutiny for his complex game plans and insistence on using three wide receivers as his base formation to both pass and run. Gilbert suspended: The NFL suspended Pittsburgh right tackle Marcus Gilbert four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancers policy. Gilbert will not appeal. He will be eligible to return for the Steelers’ visit to Houston on Christmas Day. Injury updates: New Orleans defensive end Alex Okafor will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s comeback victory over Washington . ... Houston head coach Bill O’Brien says he doesn’t expect running back D’Onta Foreman to play again this season after injuring his left ankle Sunday. ... Indianapolis quarterback Jacoby Brissett remains in the concussion protocol, but head coach Chuck Pagano expects him to play Sunday against Tennessee . ... Cleveland defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah needs surgery on his broken right foot and will require up to four months of recovery. 49ers add lineman: The 49ers claimed defensive tackle Sheldon Day off waivers from the Jaguars. The 2016 fourthround pick from Notre Dame has 11 career tackles and two sacks in two seasons. Day, 23, spent last season with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, then the Jaguars’ linebackers coach.
The 49ers had a roster opening after they cut defensive lineman Tony McDaniel last week. They are expected to activate defensive lineman Tank Carradine from injured reserve this week, meaning they will need to release a player before they host the Seahawks on Sunday.