SEATTLE -- Having already mounted a second-half rally from a double-digit halftime deficit, the Atlanta Falcons looked like they might have one more comeback in them on Sunday afternoon.

A no-call on a long fourth-down pass into Seattle territory helped decide the Falcons' fate in a 26-24 loss to the Seahawks.

After Seattle kicker Steven Hauschka hit a 44-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining to help the Seahawks regain their lead, Atlanta (4-2) had a last-gasp effort on fourth-and-10. But Matt Ryan's long pass toward go-to receiver Julio Jones fell incomplete as Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman appeared to hold one of Jones's arms down.

"It was a missed call," Jones said after catching seven passes for 139 yards and a touchdown in the loss. "But it's over with. It's done. We'll move on."

Seattle's Hauschka finished off a frustrating day with the decisive kick as Seattle survived a furious second half from the Atlanta offense. Hauschka, who missed a field-goal attempt earlier in the game and had the potential score-tying extra-point blocked in the fourth quarter, capped off the winning drive with his second field goal of the day after teammate Earl Thomas intercepted Ryan's pass with 3:48 remaining.

The Falcons had one more chance, but Ryan threw four incompletions on the final drive -- including the last-gasp throw toward Jones on what would result in the Falcons' final offensive play with 1:30 remaining.

When asked about the final play, Sherman shrugged and said: "I thought there was interference on the offense a few times earlier in the game. ... I feel like we won the game."

Seattle (4-1) gave up 276 yards of offense in the second half, losing star defensive end Michael Bennett to a knee injury in the process.

After the Falcons blocked the potential score-tying extra point with 4:43 remaining, the Seahawks got another chance when Thomas intercepted Ryan pass at midfield.

"We wanted to stay aggressive at that point," Atlanta coach Dan Quinn said of the throw that resulted in the Thomas interception. "There was still a lot of time left."

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson made a key third-down completion on the ensuing drive, escaping two Falcons pass rushers to hit Alex Collins for a nine-yard gain. Three plays later, Hauschka nailed the game-winning field goal.

"It was a great play by Alex, and I was able to find a way to get it to him," Wilson said.

Wilson completed 25 of 37 passes for 270 yards. Atlanta's Ryan completed 27 of 42 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

"We can definitely take a lot of good things from this, despite the loss," Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant said.

Atlanta rallied from a 14-point halftime lead to score 21 unanswered points during a third quarter that saw the Falcons pile up 252 yards of offense. Ryan's third touchdown pass of the game, a 46-yarder to tight end Levine Toilolo, gave Atlanta its first lead at 24-17 with 17 seconds left in the third.

The Seahawks came back to pull within 24-23 on Christine Michael's 1-yard run with 4:43 remaining, but Hauschka had his extra point try blocked by Atlanta lineman Ra'Shede Hageman to keep the Falcons in front. Michael's run capped off a nine-play, 70-yard drive that included a costly pass-interference penalty on Falcons cornerback Robert Alford near the goal line.

Atlanta completed back-to-back passes to open its next drive before a Ryan pass went off the hands of Falcons receiver Jones and resulted in a tide-turning interception at midfield.

Atlanta's third-quarter onslaught came against a Seattle defense that spent part of the early second half battling itself on the sideline. Sherman had to be separated from a teammate after the Falcons' first touchdown of the half, and the Seahawks' defense struggled mightily on the two drives that followed.

"Sometimes we play so hot that the emotion has to be dealt with," coach Pete Carroll said. "And we did; we dealt with it and finished strong."

The Falcons opened the second half with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 36-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Jones. That cut the Seattle lead to 17-10 and set off the heated incident on the Seahawks' sideline.

Sherman, who had shadowed Jones for most of the afternoon but was covering an inside receiver when Jones scored, had to be restrained from going after teammate Kelcie McCray on the sideline. Bennett and Thomas were among the Seattle players trying to prevent Sherman from getting to McCray, who got beat by Jones on the touchdown.

Sherman dismissed the possibility that his sideline tantrum had anything to do with Seattle's defensive struggles in the second half. He said he snapped at McCray because he was frustrated with "miscommunication" that resulted in Jones being open for the long touchdown.

"I'm a ballplayer," Sherman said. "I play with passion, so that was nothing new."

Things quickly got worse for Seattle, which gave up another long drive while losing Bennett to a knee injury a few minutes later. Ryan completed 4 of 6 passes for 50 yards, hitting Mohamed Sanu on a 10-yard touchdown pass to tie the score 17-17 with 6:11 remaining. Bennett hurt his right knee chasing Ryan on the play and had to be helped off the field.

Bennett went into the locker room for tests and did not return to the sideline until late in the fourth quarter. He did not get back in the game.

Carroll said that Bennett's injury did not appear to be serious but added that further tests would be taken on the knee.

Rookie running back Alex Collins scored his first career touchdown as Seattle took a 17-3 lead into halftime. Collins's 2-yard run with 4:32 remaining in the first half capped off an eight-play, 75-yard drive to give the Seahawks a 14-3 lead. Hauschka added a 42-yard field goal in the final minute of the first half.

Over the opening 30 minutes, Seattle held the NFL's No. 1-ranked offense to 86 yards.

The Seahawks took advantage of a first-quarter turnover to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Seattle defensive end Cliff Avril forced a fumble by Ryan on the first of his two sacks, resulting in a turnover at Atlanta's 9-yard line. The Seahawks scored one play later on a 9-yard Michael run, which came with 2:02 remaining in the first quarter.

The Falcons scored their first points on a Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal with 8 1/2 minutes left in the half, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

NOTES: Seattle S Kam Chancellor (groin) was among the Seahawks players who did not suit up. Chancellor strained his groin in practice the previous week and was considered a game-time decision. Also inactive was DE Frank Clark, who suffered a hamstring injury at practice leading up to the game. ... The Falcons lost WR Taylor Gabriel to a third-quarter concussion and CB C.J. Goodwin to a hamstring that kept him off the field for most of the second half. Seattle TE Luke Willson hurt his knee late in the fourth quarter and did not return. ... Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn did two stints as a Seahawks assistant coach. He was Seattle's defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014. ... Falcons CB Desmond Trufant grew up in Tacoma, a few miles south of Seattle, and attended college at the University of Washington. His older brother, Marcus, spent 10 years playing for the Seahawks.