It was over when ...
Matt Schaub's touchdown run was overturned by instant replay with under three minutes left. The ball was placed at the 1-yard-line after the review and the Texans proceeded to unravel with a series of errors. Houston RB Ron Dayne was stuffed by the Falcons at the goal line on second down. Dayne fumbled the ball out of bounds for a 4-yard loss on third down. And on fourth down, Kris Brown shanked a 25-yard field goal, sealing the Texans' fate.
Game balls
Since Atlanta signed quarterback Byron Leftwich two weeks ago, incumbent starter Joey Harrington has stepped his game up substantially. Harrington played well individually last week but the team still lost. This time, Harrington played extremely well and got to enjoy a Falcons victory. Harrington finished with 223 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 23-of-29 passes. Texans wide receiver Andre Davis, filling in for the injured Andre Johnson, did his best impersonation of the Pro Bowl receiver, catching five passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.
Key stat
The Falcons controlled the time of possession, holding the ball for more than 34 minutes. Their ball-control offense kept the defense fresh, enabling it to make the game-winning plays down the stretch.
Noteworthy
Houston cornerback Dunta Robinson left in the first half with an undisclosed injury. ... Falcons cornerback Lewis Sanders and safety Lawyer Milloy got into a brief scuffle on the field after a mix-up in coverage in the second quarter, but they appeared to patch things up while sitting next to each other on the sidelines following the series.