Fourth down plays doom Falcons in season opener

ATLANTA (AP) — Russell Wilson was cooking right from the start, throwing four touchdown passes to lead the Seattle Seahawks to a 38-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the season opener.

The Falcons are not allowing fans for their first two homes games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Seahawks took advantage of what was essentially a neutral site to pull away in the second half.

Wilson completed 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards, throwing a pair of TD passes in the first quarter and two more in the third. Atlanta’s Matt Ryan threw for 450 yards in a losing effort. 

It is a crucial season for Falcons coach Dan Quinn, and Atlanta already faces a familiar challenge. A 38-25 loss to Seattle left Atlanta 0-1 for the third straight season. Opening losses the last two years led to devastatingly poor starts that kept the Falcons out of the playoffs.

Fourth-down plays on back-to-back possessions helped determine the game. On fourth and 5 from the Atlanta 38, Russell Wilson floated a perfect sideline pass to DK Metcalf for a touchdown. On Atlanta’s next possession, the Falcons lost a fumble on a fake punt on a fourth-and-2 play.