Atlanta, Georgia - The New England Patriots have won again after going on the road and thoroughly dominating the Atlanta Falcons to open up Week 11 of the NFL season.

The Patriots shut out the Falcons on their own turf 25-0 for their fifth-straight win and Atlanta’s second loss in a row.

This was a one-sided affair from the opening kickoff, where defense was the name of the game.

An underperforming offense that only had New England up 13-0 at halftime, staying that way going into the fourth quarter, wasn’t such a big deal as the game progressed.

The Patriots only scored one touchdown on offense, but that didn’t matter as their defensive game plan took care of the rest.

New England defenders came away with four sacks, 12 quarterback hits (contact made with being ruled a sack), and four interceptions, one of which was run back for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots also got four field goals to supplement their lack of activity in the end zone.

Since New England’s defense was the best thing on the field Thursday night, it’s only fitting that one of the Patriots’ best defenders stood out.

Linebacker Kyle Van Noy (30) was all over the field for the Patriots, quickly becoming a thorn in Atlanta’s side as the game went on.

Disrupting Atlanta’s offensive attack, he sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan twice and made contact with him in one way or another even more.

He had eight total tackles, two sacks, and an interception return for a touchdown.

Rolling through this season with a rookie quarterback now that Tom Brady’s been long gone, many folks didn’t think this team would get just a game behind their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills.

They certainly snuck up on the competition, currently enjoying the second-longest current winning streak behind the Titans, who’ve won six in a row.

With the way they’re playing, they won’t only give the Bills a run for their money, bu the rest of the AFC will have to contend with them by the time playoff spots are clinched in January.

Next Sunday, the Patriots (7-4) will be back at home to take on the Titans (8-2), while the Falcons (4-6) will try to get back on track in Jacksonville against the Jaguars (2-7).