Falcons hold off Vikings 24-14

ATLANTA — Matt Ryan tossed three touchdown passes and the Atlanta Falcons held on again, beating the Minnesota Vikings 24-14 Sunday.

The Falcons (7-4) were up 17-0 at halftime after allowing just 97 yards. But, mimicking the previous week’s closer-than-necessary victory over Tennessee, they let Minnesota (2-9) back in the game.

Toby Gerhart, filling in for injured Adrian Peterson, scored from the 1 late in the third quarter. Then, after Dominique Franks inadvertently touched a punt the Falcons were trying to avoid to set up a Vikings recovery, Christian Ponder went to Percy Harvin for a 39-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-13 to make it 17-14.

But Ryan responded with a 3-yard scoring pass to backup Michael Palmer, and the Falcons held on downs after Harvin’s 104-yard kickoff return to the Atlanta 3.