Vick, Falcons hold off 49ers
Although the swirling wind was the most impressive force at Candlestick Park, Atlanta’s maligned defense made sure coach Jim Mora’s homecoming was a hit.
Aaron Beasley returned a goal-line interception 85 yards in the fourth quarter, and Rod Coleman batted down Tim Rattay’s pass on a 2-point conversion attempt with 40 seconds left in the Falcons’ 21-19 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in San Francisco.
Warrick Dunn rushed for two touchdowns and Michael Vick was 13 of 22 for 163 yards in an uninspiring debut under Mora, the longtime San Francisco defensive coordinator who took over the Falcons last January.
Though Mora still has plenty of work to do, his defense showed marked improvement from last season’s 32nd-ranked squad. And the team he left behind is in even worse shape.
Both teams struggled in the relentless wind, which made long passes risky and caused an afternoon of comically bad kicking. But Atlanta kept San Francisco out of the end zone until the final minutes, then weathered the Niners’ comeback.
Rattay left his fourth career start in the second quarter with a shoulder injury, but returned to lead two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. He finished 18 of 31 for 175 yards.
Cedrick Wilson caught Rattay’s first scoring pass with 6:14 left. Rattay then hit Eric Johnson with 16-yard TD pass, capping a gritty 62-yard drive. But Coleman, who knocked Rattay out of the game on a second-quarter sack, blocked Rattay’s low pass to Brandon Lloyd on the conversion attempt.
Rams 17, Cardinals 10
Competition for his job is bringing out the best in Marshall Faulk.
The St. Louis running back shared time with first-round pick Steven Jackson in Sunday’s victory over Arizona in St. Louis. But Faulk, who has missed 11 games due to injuries the last two seasons, carried the load with 128 yards on 22 carries. His steady play helped the Rams overcome three costly turnovers that kept the margin from being very comfortable.
Jackson also played well in his debut, shaking off a lost fumble on his first career carry after a 14-yard gain. Jackson, the first running back taken in the draft, finished with 50 yards on seven carries.
The Rams beat the Cardinals for the fifth straight time and sent Arizona to its 14th straight road loss, but did it the hard way. Each of the turnovers came deep in Arizona territory, and they also ran out of gas at the Arizona 10 and 4, settling for field goals by Jeff Wilkins.
Emmitt Smith had a resurgent game with 87 yards on 16 carries, including an 11-yard TD run that put the Cardinals ahead 10-9 in the final minute of the third quarter.
Cardinals first-round pick Larry Fitzgerald also had a nice beginning with four catches for 70 yards, including a 37-yard catch on a flea-flicker from Josh McCown on the first play from scrimmage.
Both were overshadowed by Faulk’s 39th career 100-yard game, which featured four gains of 10 yards or more..