DETROIT — The defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons rallied past the Detroit Lions 30-26 in a battle of unbeatens at Ford Field on Sunday afternoon.
The game ended amid controversy, after a Lions touchdown pass was over-ruled by replay officials.
Atlanta took the opening kickoff and promptly took a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan to Mohamed Sanu with 8:17 remaining in the first quarter. The play was initially ruled short of the goal line but that official’s decision was successfully challenged by Atlanta.
That score stood up through the end of the initial period.
The Falcons tacked on a 36-yard field goal by Matt Bryant for a 10-0 bulge with 12:51 remaining in the first half.
The Lions came right back with a 55-yard field goal by Matt Prater to close to within 10-3 with 10:27 to go until intermission.
But Atlanta once again scored quickly on a 1-yard run by Devonta Freeman for a 17-3 edge with exactly 5:00 showing on the clock.
Detroit closed to 17-6 on a Prater 40-yard field goal with 1:50 left until intermission. On the very next play, Glover Quin intercepted a Ryan aerial and returned it 37 yards for a TD and the Lions narrowed the gap to 17-13.
With 31 seconds remaining until halftime, Bryant booted a 48-yard field goal to put the Falcons up 20-13, which stood until intermission.
Atlanta came right out of the locker room and Bryant added a 40-yard field goal for a 23-13 advantage with 11:37 still to go in the third.
Detroit once again closed the gap — this time to within 23-20 on an 11-yard scoring pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate with 4:51 showing on the clock in the third period.
Prater tied the game for the first time at 23-all with a 35-yard field goal at the 1:24 juncture, a deadlock that stood as the quarter ended.
The Falcons quickly regained control at 30-23 with 14:50 left to play on a 40-yard scoring strike from Ryan to Taylor Gabriel.
Prater then booted a 56-yard field goal to trim the margin to 30-26 with 11:48 to go for the Lions.
Stafford and Tate then hooked up for last-second heroics on a touchdown pass that was over-ruled on replay.
The Lions fell to 2-1 on the season entering a date in Minnesota to meet the Vikings at 1 p.m. next Sunday.
The Falcons improved to 3-0 and will entertain the Buffalo Bills at the same time.
