The San Diego Chargers fell for the first time this season at the hands of the unbeaten Atlanta Falcons, 27-3.
Photo Gallery: Falcons vs. Chargers | More Photos
Atlanta took control of the game early on and never let go, racing out to a 20-0 lead at halftime behind scores from Jacquizz Rodgers, Tony Gonzalez and Julio Jones. The Falcons lead in nearly every major statistical category over the first 30 minutes of play with 235 total yards and 207 passing yards. They also won the time of possession battle by holding onto the ball for 20:21. The Chargers, meanwhile, put up 107 total yards, 78 in the air and had their offense on the field for just 9:39.
The Bolts came out strong to start the second half with a 13-play drive culminating in a 
Turning Point
Down 6-0 early in the second quarter, the Chargers were driving and appeared set to put points on the board. On 1st-and-goal,
It Was Over When…
Trying to get something started at the two-minute warning, Philip Rivers tossed one up high on 3rd down hoping
Play of the Game
The Falcons were poised to score their fourth touchdown of the game as they had a second down on the Bolts nine-yard line. Under pressure, Matt Ryan looked to hit Tony Gonzalez near the end zone, but the ball floated on him just a bit.
Stat of the Game
The Chargers were unable to get off the field on third down, with the Falcons converting 8-of-13 attempts for a 62% clip. At one point they made seven consecutive third downs during a pivotal stretch spanning the second and third quarters.
Bolt Quotebook
“Today obviously illustrates how much work we have to do to get each other on the same page in every little thing that we’re doing. Then, if you complicate it by turning the football over against a good team, then you’re going to be playing uphill. We didn’t handle that part of it very well today.” – Head Coach Norv Turner
“It’s back to work for us. Every week is independent of the next. If you win, you go back to work and if you lose, you go back to work. Every week is a clean slate, and you see it across the league.” – Center
“We just weren’t in sync from an offensive standpoint. It starts with me, and I need to make catches that I normally make.” – Tight End Antonio Gates
“We’ve got to just go back to the drawing board. This is only one game. We’ve got to look at the film and find the mistakes. We’ve got to put this one behind us and get ready for next week. It’s a divisional game on the road, so we have to put our focus on the next one. It’s a long haul. It’s only Week 3.” – Fullback Le’Ron McClain
“Everybody is going to go through adversity, and it’s all about how you handle it. Are you going to look at our mistakes and get better, or are you just going to settle and make excuses and brush them off? It’s about how you respond.” – Linebacker
Odds and Ends
The Chargers streak of 151 games with a touchdown came to an end. It was the second longest streak in NFL history.
The Chargers committed four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles) while the Falcons had only one.
Atlanta finished the game with 384 total yards, 265 yards in the air and 119 on the ground while San Diego had 280 total yards, 164 yards passing and 116 rushing.
The Falcons won the time of possession battle 36:14 to 23:46.
Michael Turner’s touchdown in the fourth quarter was the first rushing score allowed by the Chargers this season.
The inactives today included
The only change in the starting lineup was
The Chargers celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month throughout the stadium.
Today’s attendance was 61,297.
