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September 23, 2002
ATLANTA -- The Falcons didn't have to worry about losing another one at the end. The Bengals were out of it by halftime.
Michael Vick threw a pair of touchdown passes to Brian Finneran and the Falcons dealt the Bengals another decisive loss, 30-3 Sunday night, in a meeting of teams that entered 0-2.
Atlanta began the season with an overtime loss at Green Bay, followed by a one-point defeat to Chicago when the Falcons missed a field goal in the final minute.
Cincinnati provided the perfect remedy for those heartbreaking setbacks.
The Bengals haven't come close to winning in what already appears to be a lost season. They have been outscored 84-16 and are on quarterback No. 2, benching Gus Frerotte midway through the second quarter when he missed his first seven passes.
Vick outgained the Bengals all by himself. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 174 yards and pulled off several scintillating runs, finishing with 56 yards on the ground.
The Bengals? Playing in prime time for the first time in four years, they drove inside the Atlanta 40 only once.
Cincinnati did have one breakthrough of sorts: For the first time this season, the Bengals actually scored points in the first half.
Neil Rackers kicked a 24-yard field goal with 3 seconds left in the half, but all that did was cut Atlanta's lead to 20-3.
After field goals by Jay Feely on their first two possessions, the Falcons turned Vick loose and blew the game open.
The speedy quarterback scrambled for 7 yards to convert a third-and-6. He turned a broken play into a 14-yard gain. Finally, on third-and-1 at the Cincinnati 20, Vick play-faked the Bengals and gunned a touchdown pass to Finneran over the middle.
Atlanta scored again after Cincinnati's Nick Harris shanked a 17-yard punt, taking over at the Bengals 24. Five plays later, Vick rolled left and hit Finneran cutting across the goal line for a 13-yard touchdown.