Rodgers breaks Brady's mark as Packers cruise past Falcons

Aaron Rodgers broke Tom Brady's NFL record for most consecutive passes without an interception in style, setting the mark on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb that helped the Green Bay Packers beat the visiting Atlanta Falcons 34-20 on Sunday.

The pass was Rodgers' 359th in a row without an interception dating to Week 4 of this season, a twice-deflected pass against Buffalo. Brady went 358 passes without an interception during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Rodgers' record-setting play, in the midst of an otherwise subpar season by his historic standards, came in the third quarter to give Green Bay a 27-7 lead.

Rodgers finished 21-of-32 passing for 196 yards with two touchdowns, ending the game with a streak of 368 consecutive passes without an interception.

The outcome made a winner of interim coach Joe Philbin, who replaced Mike McCarthy after the team's 13th-year head coach was fired shortly after last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

In a battle between two of the NFL's most disappointing teams, cornerback Bashaud Breeland returned an interception for a touchdown for the Packers (5-7-1), who snapped a three-game losing streak. The Falcons (4-9) lost their fifth in a row.

Atlanta's day was summed up midway through the fourth quarter. Having pulled within 34-14 on receiver Julio Jones' second touchdown catch of the day, the Falcons were back on the move. On first-and-goal from the 8, center Alex Mack's shotgun snap hit receiver Mohamed Sanu, who was motioning from left to right. Breeland recovered to essentially put the final nail in the coffin.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan completed 28 of 42 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Most of the production came in the second half, with the Falcons in catch-up mode.

The Packers led 20-7 at halftime. The Falcons struck first, as the last of three completions to Jones was a 16-yard touchdown. Green Bay answered immediately, with Rodgers hitting receiver Davante Adams for a 7-yard score.

What looked like a track meet, however, turned into a commanding Packers lead. Crosby, who missed a 49-yard field goal that would have forced overtime last week against the Cardinals, hit field goals of 50 and 48 yards. In between, Breeland jumped in front of a pass to tight end Austin Hooper and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown.

A 29-yard rush by Aaron Jones with 5:51 left in the third quarter made it 34-7 and the rout was on. — Reuters