Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for a career-high 141 yards and a touchdown as the Atlanta Falcons outlasted the host Seattle Seahawks 27-23 Sunday afternoon for their first victory of the NFL season.
Marcus Mariota completed 13 of 20 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for a score for the Falcons (1-2).
Geno Smith was 32-of-44 passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns for the Seahawks (1-2), who lost their second in a row.
Mariota threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Drake London on third-and-7 with 35 seconds left in the third quarter to cap the scoring.
The game was delayed for 8 1/2 minutes midway through the fourth quarter after an unauthorized drone flew over the field.
Shortly thereafter, Falcons rookie running back Tyler Allgeier mishandled a handoff from Mariota and Uchenna Nwosu recovered, giving the Seahawks possession on their own 37-yard and line with 5:12 left.
Seattle drove to the Falcons’ 24 before a holding penalty and a Grady Jarrett sack pushed the Seahawks back. Smith’s desperation pass on fourth-and-18 was intercepted by Richie Grant with 1:17 to go.
Neither team led by more than a touchdown as the opening three quarters went back and forth.
Seattle’s Jason Myers kicked a 32-yard field goal to open the scoring. Mariota capped Atlanta’s first drive with a 1-yard dive.
The Seahawks regained the lead on an 18-yard scoring strike from Smith to tight end Will Dissly.
The Falcons tied it at 10-all on Younghoe Koo’s 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the first quarter.
Patterson scored on a 17-yard run midway through the second to put Atlanta up 17-10.
The Seahawks tied it on Smith’s 18-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf and Myers added a 31-yarder with five seconds left in the half to give Seattle a 20-17 lead.
Koo converted a 54-yarder on Atlanta’s first possession of the second half to tie the score again.
Myers’ 25-yarder with 3:11 left in the third gave Seattle a 23-20 advantage.
–Field Level Media
