Falcons find a way against Raiders

Raiders vs. Falcons, Week 6: Oakland fans not proud of pass protection

The Oakland Raiders hung with the heavily favored Atlanta Falcons Sunday afternoon but ultimately were unable to pull off the road upset, with Matt Bryant's 55-yard field goal giving Atlanta the 23-20 win.

While most will agree that there are no moral victories in the NFL, the fine gentlemen over at Silver and Black Pride still found some "encouraging signs" from the Raiders' narrow defeat.

Among the positives was the defense getting three interceptions, strides from the pass rush and Darren McFadden finding the end zone. But this game was not without flaws and pass protection was one of the most glaring problems for the Raiders:

"The offensive line was called for holding several times, which negated a few nice plays. Falcon John Abraham had a sack from each side of the line. The second one came courtesy of Jared Veldheer and resulted in a strip which the Falcons recovered at the two-yard line. Luckily the Raiders were able to hold them out of the endzone despite setting up in first and goal at the two."

To dissect the Raiders' heartbreaking loss even more from Oakland's perspective, head on over to Silver and Black Pride.

Raiders vs. Falcons, Week 6: Atlanta must iron out kinks, but remain perfect

The Atlanta Falcons remained undefeated on Sunday, just edging out their victory against the Oakland Raiders by the score of 23-20, after kicker Matt Bryant nailed a game-winning 55-yard field goal as time expired.

For much of the game, it was a struggle for the Falcons as quarterback Matt Ryan threw three interceptions and the running game mustered just 45 yards on the ground. Nonetheless, a win is a win and the the victory kept the Falcons perfect for another week. With the win, the 2012 Falcons became the first team in franchise history to get off to a 6-0 start.

However, some may say the Falcons did not deserve to win that game, creating some cause of concern for Falcons fans. Dave Choate of SB Nation's Atlanta Falcons blog, The Falcoholic, acknowledges the team's three fortunate wins over inferior teams, but also wants fans to recognize how far the team has come.

Without a doubt, we must improve before the playoffs. If we don't, another first round exit is a real possibility. But please don't act like the sky is falling - we're not horrible. There are 30 teams that'd love to be in our position. Ask a Browns fan how he feels about life. It's been a long and tough road for the Falcons. Still, show some humility. This is a good team.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons will have a bye week before heading to Philadelphia for a showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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