Seattle Seahawks 26, Atlanta Falcons 24

Here are the highest-graded players and top takeaways from the Seahawks' late 26-24 win over the Falcons.

Quarterback grade: Russell Wilson, 73.3

Wilson smooth and consistent against Falcons

Russell Wilson dropped back to pass 42 times, completing 25 of 37 pass attempts with five drops and a throwaway for 270 yards. Wilson faced pressure on 11 dropback passes, and was three of 10, but had four of those drops under pressure. Wilson spread the ball to a variety of receivers and kept plays alive with his legs to find targets breaking open in coverage.

Top offensive grades:

C Justin Britt, 76.6

T Bradley Sowell, 73.7

QB Russell Wilson, 73.3

WR Doug Baldwin, 70.6

WR Jermaine Kearse, 70.1

Seattle offense starts fast and rallies late

The Seahawks found success early with the zone-running attack that has been a staple for years in their offense. Christine Michael led the Seattle running game, averaging 3.22 yards after contact on 18 rushes. Wilson’s favorite target on the day was TE Jimmy Graham. Wilson threw to Graham nine times, with the former Saint hauling in six receptions while dropping two catchable passes. Wilson’s playmaking down the stretch in the clutch, however, was the difference in the game.

Top defensive grades:

DE Michael Bennett, 85.8

S Earl Thomas, 85.7

CB DeShawn Shead, 84.4

LB K.J. Wright, 75.4

S Kelcie McCray, 71.2

Seahawks' defense effective early, blows coverages in second half

Before leaving with injury, Michael Bennett was a man possessed, harassing the quarterback and making tackles. Bennett had five hits on Matt Ryan and one hurry in only 11 pass-rushing snaps. Earl Thomas was fantastic in the secondary for the Seahawks, causing multiple incompletions with his hits on receivers. On the down side, Richard Sherman (37.2 overall grade versus Falcons) struggled, targeted seven times by Matt Ryan, yielding five completions for 92 yards, and having some coverage busts that almost cost the Seahawks the game. Against Julio Jones specifically, Sherman had five targets into his coverage, surrendering three receptions to Jones for 40 yards.

Quarterback grade: Matt Ryan, 83.2

Matt Ryan earns solid marks in loss

Matt Ryan dropped back to pass 46 times, attempted 42 passes, and completed 27 with two drops and two throwaways. He tested the Seahawks downfield, attempting seven passes of 20 yards or longer, completing three such throws for 106 yards. Ryan played well, and his grades reflect it.

Top offensive grades:

QB Matt Ryan, 83.2

WR Julio Jones, 83.0

C Alex Mack, 77.0

G Andy Levitre, 74.7

T Ryan Schraeder, 74.3

Ryan to Jones brings the Falcons back

Ryan targeted Jones nine times, with the Falcons' wideout catching seven passes for 139 yards. He also had an untimely drop that led to a pick and the Seahawks' game-winning field goal. Jones didn’t square off a lot with Sherman in one-on-one coverage situations due to the Seahawks' scheme, but he had his way with pretty much any defender near him. The Falcons found success in the second half with their stretch running game while mixing in the play-action off the stretch run action. Nearly 25 percent of Ryan’s passes were off of play action, which is a cornerstone of the Kyle Shanahan offense. The Falcons' variance of formations and stretching the ball downfield caused havoc in the Seahawks' secondary.

Top defensive grades:

DT Grady Jarrett, 83.2

DE Derrick Shelby, 80

CB Desmond Trufant, 79.6

S Ricardo Allen, 78

LB Deion Jones, 77.7

Falcons defense sputters early, and then late

The Falcons struggled in the first half, giving up chunks on the ground and in the air, but as the game went on, played better and forced punts, helping Atlanta to take the lead, but could not control Russell Wilson enough down the stretch. Grady Jarrett and Derrick Shelby played well for the Falcons up front.

PFF Game-Ball Winner: Falcons QB Matt Ryan

PFF’s player grading process includes multiple reviews, which may change the grade initially published in order to increase its accuracy. Learn more about how we grade and access grades for every player through each week of the NFL season by subscribing to Player Grades.