Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan leads victory over Lions for NFC’s top seed
DETROIT—Any opponent coming to the Georgia Dome in the playoffs will have to deal with the Falcons and their sizzling quarterback.
Matt Ryan staggered the Lions early and finished them off late for a 31-18 Falcons victory Saturday night at Ford Field. The Falcons (13-2) will be the NFC’s top seed with a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
Now the Falcons will try to parlay the NFC’s top seed into postseason success. They couldn’t do it in 2010, when they also posted the NFC’s best record only to lose 48-21 to the Packers in the divisional playoffs round.
“It’s in the back of our minds,” Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud said of that game. “But we know we are a different team than we were two years ago with the passion we play with and the play-making ability is much higher than we had two years ago.”
Atlanta’s victory over Detroit rendered moot the result of next Sunday’s regular-season finale against Tampa Bay at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons now will sit back and watch the rest of the NFC’s playoff contenders fight it out for the five other seeds.
The Lions (4-11) lost their seventh consecutive game and could only take solace in wide receiver Calvin Johnson breaking Jerry Rice’s season-single record for receiving yards (1,848). Johnson, the former Sandy Creek High and Georgia Tech standout, needed 182 yards for the mark and finished with 11 catches for 225 yards.
The Falcons will ride into the playoffs with Ryan and the passing game back to their early-season forms. After Ryan carved up the Giants in a 34-0 victory on Sunday, he was 25 for 32 for 279 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions.
Ryan was 15 of 16 for 184 yards with three touchdowns in the first half as the Falcons raced out to a 21-6 lead. When the Lions rallied to within 21-16 early in the final quarter to energize their fans, Ryan quieted them by leading Atlanta on a 10-play touchdown drive.
Ryan completed six straight passes during drive, including a 15-yard pass to Roddy White to convert a third down. Ryan also had 16-yard scramble on second-and-17 and finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Palmer.
“Matt made some big-time throws for us in that drive,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “That’s what Matt has done for us all season long.”
Ryan’s fourth touchdown pass gave him 31 for the season. That ties the franchise single-season record set by Steve Bartkowski in 1980.
Ryan started the game by completing his first 12 pass attempts for 156 yards, including touchdown passes of 44 and 39 yards to White. Ryan’s next pass fell incomplete to leave him two short of the NFL record for consecutive completions—he’d connected on his final 10 attempts against the Giants.
That ended up being Ryan’s only missed pass in the first half. He was 15 for 16 with 184 yards and added a 16-yard touchdown toss to Jones after the two-minute warning.
But Detroit kicked a field goal to trim the lead to 21-6 before halftime and Atlanta’s offense bogged down to start the second half. After the Falcons went three-and-out on their opening possession, the Lions answered with a 10-play, 60-yard drive capped by Mikel Leshoure’s touchdown run.
The Falcons managed just 18 yards on their second possession of the half. The Lions drove to a first-and-goal at Atlanta’s six-yard line to open the fourth quarter but the Falcons held them to a field goal that made it 21-16.
Ultimately the Lions lost because they were the latest opponent that couldn’t stop Atlanta’s passing game even though the Falcons didn’t run the ball effectively.
In the days before the game, Lions coach Jim Schwartz said the Falcons no longer are the power-running team from years past. Now the Falcons air it out with Ryan, Jones, White, tight end Tony Gonzalez and new coordinator Dirk Koetter.
White had eight catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns and Jones had seven receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. Gonzalez’s had just one catch but the nine-yard reception converted a third down on the touchdown drive that put the Falcons up 28-16.
“In our offense, I feel like it can be any one of those three guys to step up and make the plays week in and week out,” Ryan said. “Roddy in the first half had some unbelievable plays for us, some explosives. I’m fortunate to have all of those guys around me.”
Falcons players are off until Wednesday. They’ll have a relatively relaxed two weeks as the rest of the NFC playoff picture shakes out and then the wild card teams open the playoffs in two weeks.
The lowest-seeded team to advance from the wild card round will play the Falcons at the Georgia Dome on Jan. 12 or 13. As things stand now, Atlanta’s first playoff game most likely will be against either the Seahawks or the eventual winner of the NFC East from among the Redskins, Cowboys or Giants.
But a lot still can change because the 49ers and Packers are the only other NFC teams that have clinched a playoff spot. The 49ers (10-3-1) are the NFC’s No. 2 team at the moment but the Packers (10-4) still can catch them and earn a first-round bye and a home game in the divisional round.
The Falcons no longer have to worry about playoff positioning.
“We are right where we wanted to be,” Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson said. “When we started talking about it in training camp, we wanted to be a good team by the end of the year and control our own destiny. So far things are working out. We have just go out and finish the deal.”
The Falcons will seek to end a three-game losing streak in the playoffs.
In 2008 they lost 30-24 at Arizona in the wild-card round. After losing to Green Bay in the 2010 playoffs, they fell 24-2 to the Giants in the wild-card round last season.
“I think we are definitely a different football team than we’ve been the past couple of years,” Ryan said. “Right now I think our confidence is high and our experience in the past, both good and bad, have helped us get to the point we’re at. I think the key is to continue to keep the focus where it’s been.”
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137 comments Add your comment
Canton Dawg
December 23rd, 2012
12:03 pm
After watching this team for more than 40 years, allow me to congratulate the team, pull for them in the playoffs and hope for the best! All you youngsters and transplants that missed some pretty bad football back in the day and are so critical of this team, please, take a breath. Just let us long-time fans enjoy it. If they win in the playoffs, it’s just gravy, my friends. Go Birds!
SawThat1nce
December 23rd, 2012
12:10 pm
@11:02am………Weakest part of the team is not Turner, it’s the OLine.
If the GM had of built a better OLine to go with all of the weapons he has on offense, this team would be dang near unstoppable.
meanwhile the Taints are 6-8, or something like that.
ZAvs
December 23rd, 2012
12:19 pm
As a Tech alumni and Atl resident for 6 years, I am happy to see the Falcons do well. Megatron is A BEAST. Love to see a kick butt WR not have and ego problem. It is highly possible my Broncos will see you in NO. Ryan is an elite QB, but Peyton is MVP material right now and we could see the deputy vs the sheriff. Good luck Falconites, love seeing you do well!
Buzz man
December 23rd, 2012
12:23 pm
Has anyone talked with coach smith about who will be playing next week against Tampa? Is he resting the starters? He should, they need to be 100 per cent for the playoffs.
Mikey
December 23rd, 2012
12:30 pm
Congratulations Falcons! SO nice to watch! Another nice win. That passing game is maturing. Talk about pick your poision… opponents just don’t have a chance anymore. Good to see #72 getting out there on those screens… it makes a difference with good screen blocking. Our Falcons have had difficulty in the playoffs because they always draw the Superbowl contenders. This year THEY are the Superbowl contenders and they will ruin someone else’s day. GO FALCONS! YOU ARE RISING UP!
Tap Out
December 23rd, 2012
12:40 pm
Congrats Falcons…well done. Turner needs to go back to attacking the line when he gets the ball. All this tip toeing and looking for holes is giving the opposing defense time to gather strength.
BigDawg
December 23rd, 2012
12:44 pm
Here we go again, let’s get past the 1st playoff game before crowning the over rateds. No props for regular season glory!
With top seed locked up, playoffs loom for Falcons | Sport Snapback Hats Sport Snapback Hats
December 23rd, 2012
1:12 pm
[...] “It’s in the back of our minds,” DeCoud said after Saturday night’s win, regarding January 2011?s loss. “But we know we are a different team than we were two years ago with the passion we play with and the play-making ability is much higher than we had two years ago.” [...]
Still Gritz Blitz'n
December 23rd, 2012
1:32 pm
While everybody on the outside lookin’ In keep say’n, the ATL, just been Lucky, go ahead n’ keep say’n it, If Luck is on our side, hey we’ll take that too, so far whatevwer ya’ll been say’n just been refueling the Falcon MOJO, so ya’ll pundits, trolls, outsiders here’s a Rage’n BOOOOOOYYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!SMACKDOWN on ya! ATL birds Fly’n High & lett’n loose of the Bird Pooop All Over All of Ya’s.
Still Gritz Blitz'n
December 23rd, 2012
1:35 pm
Good teams get lucky & Good, then Awesomely Good!
Starship 1
December 23rd, 2012
1:41 pm
There would be no safety if the Falcons ran a play using Jaquizz instead of M. Turner: That was I dumb call with the wrong back.
Jborodawg
December 23rd, 2012
1:51 pm
Congrats to The Birds…great win…and great season.
I agree with some of the negative comments about Turner. I suppose he’s capable of ‘bustin one’ every now and then. But so are most RBs in the NFL. I cringe when it seems he stops…to look for a hole or crease or whatever. D players in the NFL are way too quick for a RB to be actually stopping, then starting again. I believe that just allows the D players to converge and gang tackle. I wish he’d just run north and south and stop this this tip-toe bidness. Pound it up in there already.
sflanagan21
December 23rd, 2012
2:19 pm
Great job boy’s! With this high powered passing game I don’t see anyone stopping us from a SB win! Yea I wish we had a lil better running game but look at the Pats… I do feel like Turner will bring it during the playoff’s though. And we also need to get Rogers more carries or even some short passes out in open field. Ryan is a stud and he is seeing the field with big eye’s, I guess it helps when ya have White, Jones, Gonzalez and Douglas to throw to!
This team is special and like a lot of Falcons fans I have been waiting a very long time for a SB win, 41 years for me! Falcons-Broncos in SB, but this isn’t our 98 Falcons we are better…
Michael M.
December 23rd, 2012
2:19 pm
Nobody mentioned it but you got to give it up for Roddy White, those two touchdowns he made were huge in that game last night…………………….Game Ball to Mr. White ! ! ! ! ! ! !
sflanagan21
December 23rd, 2012
2:36 pm
Canton Dawg, I remember going to home games in Fulton Co. stadium back in the 70’s and 80’s and by the 3rd qtr you could watch the game in row 1 at the 50. I played QB from youth through HS and even after he was long retired I would pretend as though I was Steve Bartkowski. So yea it’s been a long wait for us ole timers to have a shot like we do. I mean even 1998 seems like a very long time ago!
Go Falcons, Go Dawgs, Go Braves, Go Hawks
The Boss
December 23rd, 2012
2:51 pm
sflanagan21 & Canton Dawg-
I’m with you guys. Started going to games with my dad back in 1974. Been a Falcons fan all thru the sorriest of times. Lived in Fla during college and had to deal with all the Northeastern fans bashing my allegiance. Lived in Cali for 4 years and bought a 10FT Dish ( yes youngsters thats how dishes used to be) just so I could get those feeds on Sunday mornings ( 10 a.m) to watch my Falcons.
Now I have a college age son and I take him to games at the Dome! Last week vs. Giants was the most special game ever to have him in town, sitting with him, and watching us dismantle those guys! My son can go back to school in a few weeks and wear his Falcons hats/shirts proudly! That’s how generational fan bases are built.
As you both know this season is simply special. There is a different feel to it when I watch this team. Are they perfect? Of course not. Beauty of todays NFL is ALL teams have flaws. But this is FUN and this is OUR season! Enjoy it. It’s seasons like this and the past few years of success since this new regime took over, that BUILDS a fan base of NEW youngsters that will follow in our footsteps and stay true to heart. Falcon Fans for life!
Atlanta Falcons: Plan is to ‘play to win’ final regular-season game | Atlanta Falcons
December 23rd, 2012
3:06 pm
[...] (13-2) wrapped up the NFC’s top seed with the victory over the Lions and will enjoy a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the [...]
phil
December 23rd, 2012
3:26 pm
we can make a real run
December 23rd, 2012
2:57 am
we got #1 seed. Haters can talk about history, real fans talk about now and the future. I think our team this year is the best falcons team ever assembled (yes even better than the 98-99) falcons. Forget the past and we will play this out this year. The SB is in new orleans this year and that is just the story book of our season. This year has a different feel to it and I know in my heart of hearts If we win that first playoff game we will go all the way. Would be nice to knock out GB & SF on the way to the bowl just to silence all the critics. I see a rematch of the last time we went to the SB and that will be the story of that game. Only this time the falcons win it all.
**********
and idiots can ignore history.
phil
December 23rd, 2012
3:28 pm
The Boss…..
Your poor son thinks we can win it all with no pass rush and no running game?
Try a different college.
Atlanta Falcons: Plan is to ‘play to win’ final regular-season game |
December 23rd, 2012
3:51 pm
[...] (13-2) wrapped up the NFC’s top seed with the victory over the Lions and will enjoy a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the [...]
Laddester L. Conyers
December 23rd, 2012
3:53 pm
Well done Matt and Falcons also Calvin.In the play off don`t any prissoners and play like wild men.Don`t dissappoint us.GO FALCONS GO
Laddester L. Conyers
December 23rd, 2012
4:00 pm
I`m sorry and apologize to Mr.Roddy White you were great to man!Julio was good but needs to learn how to catch what ever comes his way.In the play off don`t take no prisoners and play like wild men.GO, GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!
sflanagan21
December 23rd, 2012
4:21 pm
The Boss, I’ve been in Mammoth Lakes, Ca for the past 12 years at tough being a “Lone Wolf” out here. I’m a Dawgs, Falcons, Braves and Hawks fan for life no matter what’d I live! My family and I come back home to Georgia twice a year to visit, once in the spring to go to a couple of Braves games and once during the fall (twice this year and last year for the SEC ship) and we catch a Dawgs and Falcons game.
Both of my kids (19 & 21) have lived in Cali longer then they did Ga but they are both huge fans of the Falcons, Dawgs, Braves and Hawks. My son cried himself to sleep in 98 when the Broncos bet us up in the SB, it was his first year playing football so I think thats why he took it so tough. I remember telling him how I cried when Dallas beat us in the playoffs back in 80 but it didn’t help him much cause he was devastated! But that SB game solidified another life long Falcons fan and he is hoping we get the Broncos in the SB (assuming both teams make it that far).
phil
December 23rd, 2012
5:37 pm
No matter what’d I live…..
Don’t make anymore trips east. Please.
The Boss
December 23rd, 2012
6:22 pm
@Phil
If that is your take on my post above, then it appears you need to go back to school yourself.
Your reading comprehension skills? Zero!
sflanagan21- Lucky man! Mammoth Lakes. Wow. GREAT area. Great Skiing and life in general. On a not as exciting note, we lived in LA in early 90’s. During the Braves run and KO of the Dodgers back then made that pretty sweet for us. I’m pretty sure I was the only one in 1991-1994 with a Braves Tomahawk chopping in my car window as I drove the 5 Freeway each day!
Broncos / Falcons rematch would be sweet. As I said we surely have flaws, but enjoying this ride and will stay onboard no matter what forever!
Happy Holidays to you!
JUST WONDERING
December 23rd, 2012
6:33 pm
WHY THE HECK WE KEEP RUNNING 33. HE IS WASHED UP OR EITHER DOESN’T WANT IT. I UNDERSTAND IF THERE IS NO HOLE THE RUN ISN’T GONNA BE THERE BUT I FEEL LIKE ON THOSE PLAYS WHERE TURNER ACTUALLY GETS 3 OR 4 YDS SOMEONE ELSE COULD HAVE GOTTEN 10.HE CERTAINLY ISNT BREAKING ANY TACKLES SO WHY NOT USE THE MORE SHIFTY FASTER BACK.SIT 33 ‘S BUTT ON THE BENCH TILL HE GETS PISSED OFF AND THEN BRING HIM IN. CONGRATS TO THE TEAM AND YOU GUYS ARE A CLASS ACT.SPOON YOU ARE A BEAST. TONG G PLEASE DON’T GO
sflanagan21
December 23rd, 2012
7:37 pm
Phil-It was typo chick…
sflanagan21
December 23rd, 2012
7:47 pm
The Boss-Yea I can’t complain my man, Mammoth is a very special place and most of the world doesn’t even know it’s existence. As I speak we are getting a storm that’s going to leave us with over 5 feet of the fluffy white stuff! Summers are amazing here also!
Lol at the Tomahawk chopping in your car window! I fly all of my flags (Dawgs, Braves, Falcons) during their season. I’ve actually converted several of the kids on our Pop Warner and Little League associations to Falcons, Braves and Dawgs fans. Our HS QB which I’ve known and worked with since he was 7 is a hard core Dawgs fan, his Dad is a huge Chargers and Padres fan so I lost those battles.
Merry Christmas to ya too TB
sflanagan21
December 23rd, 2012
7:53 pm
TB-Our future (Falcons) looks bright…
SawThat1nce
December 23rd, 2012
11:35 pm
don’t mind phil, he is just a harmless jerk
Atlanta Falcons: Plan is to ‘play to win’ final regular-season game FEATURED FALCONS ARTICLE | Falcons - NFC South Daily | Atlanta Falcons Blog
December 24th, 2012
4:29 am
[...] (13-2) wrapped up the NFC’s top seed with the victory over the Lions and will enjoy a bye week and home-field advantage throughout the [...]
Jborodawg
December 24th, 2012
8:47 am
How ’bout playing McCown at least the whole 2nd half against Tampa? Maybe even pull A Samuel for the 2nd half and make sure his shoulder’s good to go?
DR. FALCON
December 24th, 2012
1:05 pm
AS MUCH AS I LOVE MY CHILD HOOD IDOL, STEVE BARTKOWSKI, MATT RYAN IS THE BEST QB THE FRANCHISE HAS EVER HAD! THE STATS BEAR THAT OUT! IN BART’S DEFENSE, MARION CAMPBELL, LEEMAN BENNETT, AND DAN HENNING, DID LITTLE TO SURROUND HIM WITH AN OL, AND TRUE PLAYMAKERS TO HELP! BUT, HAVING SAID THAT, MATT RYAN’S WHOLE BODY OF WORK, INCLUDING 4TH QTR COMEBACKS, SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!
sflanagan21
December 24th, 2012
1:46 pm
Dr Falcon-Can’t argue that fact…
Denise Bray
December 26th, 2012
11:23 am
I heard rumors that there my be substitues in Sunday’s games againt Tampa. Come on ” Smitie” please don’t do that! The fans pay to see our
main players and they have 5 wks before playoffs. Lets end the regular
season with the team that got us this far.So we can show our gratitude
for their efforts. Rise-Up!!
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