Matt Ryan threw his third touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to give Atlanta some cushion, and the Falcons' defense followed with a goal-line stand to secure a 24-14 victory over the Vikings. Ryan completed 27-of-34 passes for 262 yards to help the Falcons (7-4) stay in the thick of the NFC South race. Atlanta got off to a dominant start against Minnesota, racing out to a 17-0 halftime lead but Christian Ponder and the Vikings' offense overcame that slow start to get back into the game. He completed a long touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to Percy Harvin, who also nearly returned a kickoff for a touchdown after Ryan's scoring pass to Michael Palmer had given the Falcons a 24-14 advantage with 6:40 to play. Harvin reached the Atlanta three-yard line on the return, but the Falcons stopped Toby Gerhart on 4th-and-goal from the one to send the Vikings (2-9) to their third consecutive loss. Source: Star-Tribune
