11 key stats from the Falcons’ Week 3 win over the Seahawks

The Atlanta Falcons were in danger of opening the season with a third straight loss before an interception by safety Richie Grant with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter sealed the team’s 27-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.

Both offenses moved the ball at will on Sunday, but for the first time this season, the Falcons made the timely plays in the fourth quarter to close out the game.

Here are 11 key stats from the Falcons’ Week 3 win over the Seahawks.

3: TDs scored by Atlanta in the red zone

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The Falcons had struggled during the first two weeks in the red zone, but they scored touchdowns on three of their four trips in Week 3. Cordarrelle Patterson had a 17-yard rushing touchdown, Drake London had a 14-yard touchdown reception, and Marcus Mariota had a one-yard rushing score. This was arguably the difference in the game as Seattle went just 2-for-5 in the red zone.

8: Passes broken up by Falcons defenders

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The Falcons let Geno Smith do pretty much whatever he wanted on Sunday, but it could have been much, much worse. Atlanta’s defense broke up eight of Smith’s passes. A.J. Terrell had three, Rashaan Evans and Richie Grant had two apiece, and Mykal Walker finished with one pass defended. This defense definitely has issues, but 23 points allowed and a win is something an 0-2 team will take any day of the week.

13: 1st downs gained on Mariota's 13 completions (100%)

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Mariota only completed 13 passes on 20 attempts during Sunday’s game, but the Falcons QB made each one of them count. All 13 of Mariota’s completions went for a first down. It was far from a perfect day for Super Mario, but he had two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing) and kept the chains moving for most of the day. The Falcons finished the game with just one punt, which is a credit to the offense.

17.6: Yards per reception by Falcons receivers

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If you thought Sunday’s game had more big plays than usual, you were correct. Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Olamide Zaccheaus and Anthony Firkser each finished the game with catches of more than 20 yards. For the day, Atlanta’s pass-catchers averaged 17.6 yards per reception. Mariota’s 13 completions racked up 229 total yards.

73: Yards gained on Bradley Pinion's only punt

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Punters generally don’t get much love, and on Sunday, Bradley Pinion didn’t get much work. The Falcons offense kept its foot on the gas for most of the day, punting the ball just once in Week 3. The former Buccaneer booted his lone attempt for 73 yards. Kicker Younghoe Koo was a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals for the day (three extra points). Pinion and Koo are a formidable special teams duo.

80: Points scored by Atlanta after 3 games (1st in NFC South)

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The Falcons have a top-10 scoring offense after three weeks, scoring a total of 80 points this season (26.6 per game). That is the highest total in the NFC South by a wide margin. The Panthers are second in the division with 62 points scored. In Week 1, the Falcons scored 26 points, then 27 points apiece in Weeks 2 and 3. At this rate, the offense could be pretty dangerous by midseason.

81: Points allowed by Atlanta after 3 games (4th in NFC South)

(Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)

How do you start 1-2 when your offense scores 80 points over a three-game stretch? You allow 81 points, as the Falcons have this season. In comparison, the division-leading Buccaneers have allowed just 27 points after three weeks. Take a look at the NFC South standings below.

87: Receiving yards by TE Kyle Pitts

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Kyle Pitts had just 38 total receiving yards entering Week 3, causing many Falcons fans to panic. The team’s No. 4 overall pick from a season ago more than doubled his regular season total on Sunday. Pitts finished the game with five catches for 87 receiving yards on eight targets. Look for the team to keep him involved in Week 4 when Atlanta hosts the Cleveland Browns.

107: Rushing yards by Patterson in second half alone

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Patterson had a career-high 141 rushing yards on Sunday, with one catch for 12 receiving yards. His 17-yard touchdown run in the first half gave the team a 17-10 lead. It was in the second half when he really did his damage, though. Patterson had 107 rushing yards in the second half. Through three weeks, Patterson is averaging just over 100 yards per game (302 total rushing yards). Make sure you appreciate just how special Patterson has been in Atlanta.

325: Passing yards by Geno Smith

(AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Not all passing yards are created equal, especially when one team is fighting back from a big deficit, but Geno Smith did most of his damage in the first half of Sunday’s game. Smith finished with 325 passing yards in Week 3, with 218 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone. Dean Pees’ defense bent but didn’t break against the Seahawks on Sunday, and the Falcons earned their first win as a result of a late defensive stand.

806: Total offensive yards gained by both teams

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Most would not expect two teams quarterbacked by Geno Smith and Marcus Mariota to combine for over 800 yards, but that’s what happened on Sunday. The Seahawks had 420 total yards of offense, while Atlanta had 386 yards. The Falcons were more efficient, however, averaging 7.7 yards on 54 total offensive plays. The Seahawks averaged 6.6 yards on 69 total plays.

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Story originally appeared on Falcons Wire