Roll call starts here...

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan gearing up to throw vs Chiefs: Photo/ AP

It was a great opening week for the Atlanta Falcons as they traveled to Arrowhead Stadium to compete against the Kansas City Chiefs in the opening game of the 2012 season. Waking up that morning as my wife was just laying down for sleep from hard work at the hospital, I turned on NFL Network as I was getting my daughter ready for a day of church and football. So who do I hear give my Atlanta Falcons a another beat down, none other than Falcons hater Warren Sapp? Saying the Chiefs will win 41-0. I would not have been so upset if he picked the Chiefs to win by 3 or 7, or even 10. But Falcons scoring zero. Did he not even see tape of the first team in preseason. So no matter if the Falcons saw that clip or not, the Falcons won, and they were the ones that put up 40 on the scoreboard, final score, 40-24.

The Falcons were ready to play!!! The Falcons wasted no time as the scored on the opening drive. Quarterback Matt Ryan hooked up with WR Julio Jones for the first TD of the season/game. It was a dominate performance by the O. Ryan finished the game 23-31 for 299 yards with 4 touchdowns, three by air and one by ground. Ryan connected two touchdowns with Jones and one with TE Tony Gonzalez. Then Ryan decided to take matters in his own hands as he ran one touchdown in for six more. Ryan was perfect in not turning the ball over. Jones ended the day with six catches for 108 yards on two scores. WR Roddy White didn't cross the endzone with the ball, but ended the day with six catches as well on 87 yards. The most memorable play in my eyes was Gonzalez's TD back at Arrowhead as he did his usual dunking of the ball over the field goal post after he scored.

Safety Thomas DeCoud makes TD saving tackle on KC RB Jamaal Charles: Photo/John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Big props to the defense as defensive coordinator Mike Nolan showed off his polished defense. It was actually looking like the old D in the first half as they gave up 17 points and let KC QB Matt Cassel throw at will. But something the Falcons did at the half that they didn't do the last four years, was make adjustments. The Falcons came out and pressured Kansas City, which resulted in three turnovers. The D in the second half looked like Nolan's D, the one that I expected. While all this was going on, the offense did not lose a step, and powered 20 more points on the scoreboard.

The only significant injury for the Falcons on this game was starting corner Brent Grimes going down with an apparent achilles injury. Later it showed up that is what it was. So on season ending injured reserve Grimes goes.  This hurts in so many areas. Grimes just signed a one-year franchise tag for 10 million dollars. This tender is guaranteed. So the Falcons are out 10 million dollars as they were trying to work a long term deal with Grimes. With this type of injury, not sure if Grimes will ever suit up in a Falcons uniform. Grimes was the Falcons best corner. So now backup corners Chris Owens and Dominique Franks need to step up. Not really sure if Falcons will try to sign a free agent corner. None really out there. Good luck Grimes in your recovery.

I know this is only one game, but watching the game on Sunday, the feeling I had was the same feeling I had back in the 1998 Super Bowl win. I hope that feeling remains the remaining 15 games. But time will tell. In the rest of the division play, Washington beat New Orleans 40-32 and Tampa Bay beat Carolina 16-10. The standing in the NFC South after one game are:

Atlanta Falcons 1-0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-0
Carolina Panthers 0-1
New Orleans Saints 0-1.

Next game for the Falcons is a home contest this upcoming Monday night against the Denver Broncos. Denver beat Pittsburgh this past week 31-19. Denver's D is strong, so the Falcons need to play at an even higher level. And with QB Peyton Manning showing no signs that he took a year off, it's going to be a tough contest. The home crowd needs to be that 12th man.

Mark A. Kirkley: twitter @makirkley
I am a loving husband, father.  God and family are #1 in my life.
Kennesaw State Univ alum in Journalism. 
Academic librarian/writer/blogger. "Your thoughts are better organized 
when they are written."

Don't forget to follow me on twitter @makirkley.