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Harrington Lifts Atlanta To 1st Win

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By PAUL NEWBERRY, The Associated Press

Published: October 1, 2007

ATLANTA - On this day at least, the Atlanta Falcons didn't need Michael Vick or Matt Schaub.
Joey Harrington threw a pair of touchdown passes to former Leto standout Michael Jenkins and 47-year-old Morten Andersen kicked four field goals Sunday, leading the Falcons to their first win of the season, 26-16, against Schaub and the Houston Texans.

Harrington, who took over as the Falcons starter after Schaub was traded and Vick became embroiled in a dogfighting case, had another effective day by competing 23 of 29 for 223 yards. A week earlier, he passed for 361 yards in a loss to Carolina.

'We've got a little flow going,' Harrington said. 'So much of this game is getting on a roll, getting in a groove. We feel like we're starting to dictate what the other team has to do.'

Jenkins hauled in scoring passes of 5 and 7 yards, the first two-touchdown game of his up-and-down career with the Falcons (1-3), who were one of five winless teams left in the NFL. In all, he made six catches for 64 yards.

'These are some talented wide receivers,' Harrington said.

Atlanta went up 20-7 in the first half and guarded its lead the rest of the game. The Texans (2-2) twice closed within a touchdown but couldn't come all the way back, losing for the second week in a row.

Bobby Petrino, the Falcons' first-year coach, picked up his first NFL win. He wore a white cap - after going without anything on his head the previous week - in hopes of changing the team's fortunes.

'I'm not superstitious or anything,' he said. 'But I was changing it up until we got a win. You'll probably see the white hat for a while.'

Schaub was 28 of 40 for 317 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass to Andre Davis that gave Houston a short-lived lead in the first quarter. But the Texans couldn't punch in their other scoring chances, settling for three field goals by Kris Brown.

'It was a new experience playing those guys,' said Schaub, who spent the first three years of his career as Vick's backup in Atlanta.

The NFL's oldest player, Andersen showed he has still got plenty of punch in his left leg by connecting from 28, 22, 36 and 46 yards. He also had a 42-yard attempt that came up short and appeared to be nicked by a Houston rusher.

'It's fun to score points in crucial situations and help us win,' the Great Dane said.

The Texans' final chance came with just more than 2 minutes remaining. Schaub ran up the middle and dove into the end zone, initially getting credit for a 13-yard TD run that could have pulled Houston within a field goal.

But the Falcons challenged, and referee Gerald Austin said the replay showed Schaub went down just short of the end zone. On the next play, Houston fumbled.

Atl-FG Andersen 28, 8:14.

Hou-A.Davis 35 pass from Schaub (K.Brown kick), 5:34.

Atl-Jenkins 5 pass from Harrington (Andersen kick), 1:13.

Second Quarter

Atl-Jenkins 7 pass from Harrington (Andersen kick), 8:22.

Atl-FG Andersen 22, 1:52.

Hou-FG K.Brown 42, 0:05.

Third Quarter

Hou-FG K.Brown 37, 10:13.

Atl-FG Andersen 36, 4:00.

Fourth Quarter

Hou-FG K.Brown 19, 14:52.

Atl-FG Andersen 46, 8:16.

A-69,312.

RUSHING-Houston, Dayne 15-62, Schaub 5-19, Cook 2-6. Atlanta, Dunn 18-62, Norwood 9-29, Pinner 2-0, Harrington 1-(minus 1).

PASSING-Houston, Schaub 28-40-0-317. Atlanta, Harrington 23-29-0-223.

RECEIVING-Houston, Walter 6-77, Cook 6-28, Davis 5-117, Daniels 5-69, Dayne 2-12, Leach 2-3, D.Anderson 1-9, Putzier 1-2. Atlanta, Jenkins 6-64, Robinson 4-31, Dunn 4-9, White 3-64, Crumpler 3-34, Norwood 2-16, Horn 1-5.

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