SAN DIEGO -- Official game notes from the press box following the Falcons win over the Chargers.
- With a 22-16 victory over the San Diego Chargers, the Atlanta Falcons won its third road contest this season and improved its record to 8-4 (2-0 on the road against AFC West teams).
- Wide receiver Roddy White topped the 1,000-yard receiving plateau this season following his first two receptions of 19 and nine yards in the first quarter. White becomes the first Falcons receiver to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since 1998-99 (Terance Mathis).
- Following White topping the 1,000-yard mark this season, he and running back Michael Turner become the first receiver and running back duo in franchise history to each record 1,000-yard campaigns since 1998 (Jamal Anderson, 1,846, Tony Martin, 1,181 and Terance Mathis, 1,136).
- Along with reaching the 1,000-yard plateau, White posted his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season after finishing with six catches for 112 yards. White is on pace to set the franchise record in receiving yards for a season with 1,447 yards.
- Turner also posted his sixth game with 100-plus rushing yards this season after tallying 31 carries for 120 yards. The rushing total is the sixth-highest of his career.
- On the Falcons third offensive drive of the game, quarterback Matt Ryan found tight end Justin Peelle for an 18-yard touchdown to give Atlanta a 13-7 lead. The scored marked Peelle’s second touchdown of the season and the 12th for Ryan. The 18-yard reception was also the longest for Peelle this year.
- On the first play of the fourth quarter, Ryan found wide receiver Harry Douglas for a five-yard touchdown pass to give the Falcons a 22-13 lead. The touchdown reception was first of Douglas’ career.
- Ryan recorded his fifth game this season with two touchdown passes. He also totaled a stretch of three consecutive games with two TD passes this season from 10/26 at Philadelphia – 11/9 New Orleans.
- Atlanta recorded its first safety since December 12, 2005 (vs. New Orleans) after Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone. The safety gave the Falcons a 15-7 lead.
- Atlanta’s drove 49 yards on its opening offensive possession of the game, which culminated into a 35-yard field goal from kicker Jason Elam. The field goal marked the sixth time this season the Falcons have scored on their opening offensive possession. This year the Falcons are 6-0 after scoring on their opening drive.
- Atlanta posted six first quarter points and has now outscored its opponents 94-31 in the opening 15 minutes of play. The Falcons 94 first quarter points lead the NFL.
- Following a San Diego touchdown, Ryan completed a 38-yard pass to White, which led to a Falcons field goal. The completion was the seventh-longest for Ryan this season.
- Atlanta’s defense held running back LaDainian Tomlinson to his second-lowest career rushing total in a game with 24 yards. Tomlinson’s career game low came on October 23, 2005 against the Philadelphia Eagles (seven yards).
- The Falcons defense held the Chargers to eight first quarter rushing yards continuing their trend of holding opponents to under 20 first quarter rushing yards in 11 of 12 games this season. Entering Sunday’s game, Atlanta’s defense ranked first in the NFL in opponent first quarter rushing yards allowed.
- Atlanta defensive end Jamaal Anderson blocked his first career field goal, which was returned by linebacker Curtis Lofton for 19 yards.
- Rookie defensive end Kroy Biermann logged his first career sack when he dropped Rivers for a three-yard loss. The sack led to a San Diego punt.
- Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux recorded a two-sack performance, taking down Rivers twice in the fourth quarter. The sacks were the third and fourth of the season and the 7.5 and 8.5th of his career. Babineaux tallied only one other two-sack game in his career, which came on September 16, 2007 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Elam connected on two of two field goal attempts, including a long of 40-yards at the end of the first quarter. Elam’s eight-point total against the Chargers gives him a career-mark of 236 points from 1993-2008 (the most against any team in his career).
- Douglas tallied his third-longest punt return of the season (32 yards) in the second quarter. Douglas’ return allowed the Falcons offense to being the drive on the San Diego 46-yard line.
- Peelle registered a season-high in receiving with three catches for 38 yards and one touchdown.
- Wide receiver Eric Weems returned his first career kickoff in the first quarter for 19 yards.
- San Diego’s offense posted 44 yards on its first offensive drive of the game, however, on a fourth down attempt, Babineaux deflected a Rivers pass to stall the drive. The PBU was the second for Babineaux this season and the eighth of his career.
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-CHARGERS GAME:
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete coverage of the Falcons win over the Chargers
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more from NFL.com
- GAME RECAP: Falcons get 22-16 victory over Chargers in San Diego
- GAME NOTES: Official game notes from the QUALCOMM Stadium press box
- J. MIKE'S BLOG: News and more from the AF.com Managing Editor
- TRANSCRIPTS: Quotes from Falcons and Chargers players and coaches (PDF)
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Turner | Ryan
- HIGHLIGHTS: NFL Network Gameday | NFL Network Short
- INACTIVES: Inactives and starters from the Falcons-Chargers game
- REVIEW AND RESPOND: Ask your questions about the game
- PHOTOS: Images from the Falcons win over the Chargers
- FORUMS: Talk about the game with other Falcons fans on FalconsLIFE
