ATLANTA — Welcome to Atlanta, Tony Gonzalez and Mike Peterson.
Gonzalez hauled in a touchdown pass and became the 21st player in NFL history with 11,000 yards receiving, while Peterson forced a fumble with a vicious hit and picked off a pass, leading the Falcons past the mistake-prone Miami Dolphins 19-7 on Sunday.
The matchup between the two most surprising teams of 2008 wasn’t much of a game. The Falcons’ defense, highly suspect after letting go five starters and looking shaky during the preseason, came up with four turnovers and thoroughly shut down a team that won the AFC East after going 1-15 two years ago.
Matt Ryan threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Falcons, who are off to a good start in their attempt to post consecutive winning seasons for the first time in their 44-year history.
Peterson, the only prominent defensive player signed by Atlanta during the offseason, intercepted a pass intended for Anthony Fasano, returning it 39 yards to set up Atlanta’s decisive touchdown by Gonzalez. Gonzalez hauled in five passes for a team-high 73 yards, including a 20-yard TD after Peterson’s pick.
