A great escape shows us how special these Falcons can be
Ball in the air, game on the line. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
For three games they’d run nice and easy, never once trailing, facing only one gotta-have-this drive. (That came against Denver, and they got it.) But the Falcons play in the NFL, where nothing stays nice and easy, and Sunday they happened on an opponent who wouldn’t yield and a predicament that would have taxed the faith of a saint.
So it was that Matthew Thomas Ryan, named after two saints, took a snap at his 1 and backtracked into the end zone with 59 seconds remaining and his team, without a timeout to its name, down a point. Already Ryan had been sacked seven times, and as a nod to Carolina’s pressure the Falcons did something odd. At a moment of near-desperation, a time when you’d expect every receiver on the roster to be zigging this way or that, they dispatched only two men to run routes.
Roddy White down the left side, Julio Jones on the right. Everybody else stayed to block, and even as he retreated Ryan did a strange thing: He faked a handoff to Jacquizz Rodgers, and here you almost laughed. What offense in its right mind bothers with faking a run at its 1 with no timeouts left?
This carefully considered offense did. “It was actually more a protection thing,” Ryan would say of the play-action ploy, and it worked. Given a clean pocket for the first time in ages, he stepped forward and let fly. The ball traveled 65 yards and came down in the professional hands of Roddy White, who’d beaten Josh Norman and outleaped (for the second time this day) safety Haruki Nakamura. Just like that, the undefeated Falcons were positioned to win on a day they coulda/shoulda lost.
Said Todd McClure, the center: “It’s unbelievable. Matt said, ‘I went back and threw it as far as I could, and Roddy made a play.’ ”
Said Ryan: “It was a good throw and a great catch.”
Said White: “I try to track [the ball] at its highest point and jump just before [the defender] does. It’s kind of easy to do.”
Well, no. It’s not easy to do. But the beauty of these Falcons is that they have enough talent to carry them above and beyond. It’s why they’re 4-0 and have all but lapped the field in the NFC South. It’s why they’re capable of winning much more than the NFC South.
Ryan again: “I threw it high and far. We practice that. Roddy went up and got it.”
Then this: “In that situation, you have to make a play that changes the outcome of the game.”
The famous Cam Newton nearly made such a play inside the final two minutes, but he fumbled while lunging for what would have been the clinching first down. (John Abraham, man in the news, knocked it loose.) Had Newton held the ball, the Falcons wouldn’t have touched it again. As it was, the ball was moved backward and Carolina coach Ron Rivera flinched at fourth-and-1, and for his timidity he wound up losing.
If you have a choice, you don’t give a great quarterback a chance to beat you. And that’s what Ryan is becoming – a great quarterback. He has won unwinnable games before (meaning Chicago as a rookie), but in the fifth year of his NFL life he has become the guy who, as the glib coach Jimmy Johnson used to say, “can sink the 8-ball on the break.” How else to describe a quarterback who took his trailing team 77 yards in 49 seconds without needing to call time?
That the Falcons won on a day when they weren’t the best only tells us they’re not just gifted but fierce. They needed that test, and they aced it. Said Mike Smith, their coach: “It was just a matter of time before we would have to play from behind.”
Said McClure: “We’ve got unbelievable skill guys, and we know that if there’s a little bit of time we can win.”
Apart from the ending, this wasn’t a great day for the Falcons. Because of the ending, it became a great day. It showed them that they can do whatever it takes to win. It showed them that their quarterback can absorb a dozen big hits and rise above the bruising. It showed them that their ceiling is higher than the roof of the venue for this stunning escape.
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
258 comments Add your comment
tigerbulldogfan
September 30th, 2012
9:31 pm
Enter your comments here
tigerbulldogfan
September 30th, 2012
9:31 pm
Who did Mike Smith shove and why?
DawgNole
September 30th, 2012
9:31 pm
ueeediot
September 30th, 2012
9:25 pm
Why does Michael Irvin insist on saying Rowdy White?
________________
Because like so many other criminals given a platform based strictly on former athletic ability, he’s incapable of speaking clearly.
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
9:35 pm
@PHIL- I AGREE THIS WIN WAS PATHETIC AND WE NEARLY ESCAPED BY SHEER LUCK!!!!! OUR O-LINE IS GARBAGE AND CHARLES JOHNSON GOT 5 SACKS IN ONE FREAKIN GAME!!!!!
THAT IS VERY EMBARASSING!!!!!!
WE DIDN’T GET JULIO OR HARRY DOUGLAS INVOLVED AND OUR PASS DEFENSE WAS GARBAGE!!!!! MIKE SMITH HAS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON HIM RIGHT NOW AND WE NEED TO IMPROVE EACH WEEK INSTEAD OF BARELY BEATING THESE WEAK TEAMS!!!!
DON’T WORRY WE WILL ALL SEE IF WE ARE THE TEAM WE REALLY ARE, COME NEXT MONTH WHEN WE FACE THE EAGLES, COWBOYS, AND SAINTS ALL IN A ROW!!!!!
Big Crimson 75
September 30th, 2012
9:35 pm
ueeediot
September 30th, 2012
9:25 pm
Why does Michael Irvin insist on saying Rowdy White?
——-
Coke.
phil
September 30th, 2012
9:35 pm
Next month starts ina bout 2 hours….
We will lose every game in october.
phil
September 30th, 2012
9:36 pm
Aside from the fact that michael irvin is an imbecile?
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
9:36 pm
we talked and we raved about the guys protecting Matt all summer and preseason…….they are not going to stop everybody they play against this year……………….hey those Panthers showed up today…………..yeah , he took some hits today but he still showed everyone who the man is !
Answer this
September 30th, 2012
9:37 pm
Good to see that even when you play a bad game you win, regardless of how bad you look. Regardless if you could not stop the run….today. Regardless if you had 6 sacks and.looked like last years line.
The thing about being 4-0 is that the Birds have not reached a peek and that they have things to work on…..I guess that is why this leauge has 16 games!? Gives you something to work on and get better at doing!
I guess that is why we have coaches? Go figure! Hahajajajaha. Heres the deal when we talking about this team in week 12 as they get better….did I say get better….in week 12….then I think we might garner a little respect from the troll nation….
We already getting it now from commentators in the NFL…hey those guys get paid and most if not all have some type of experience (did they play or something? with some type of jewelry …..a super bowl ring or something like that maybe more than one?)…they not just sharp dressed men
Tell you what I will listen to those guys and let these trolls keep being city boy bloggers!
JSS
September 30th, 2012
9:41 pm
Say Gonzalez….
phil
September 30th, 2012
9:41 pm
When we went to 4-0 back in 1986, it was a similar sort of game in that it took late heroics from David Archer to win that one….
Of course that bunch finished 7-8-1 and lost to the 0-14 Dolts…..
Answer this
September 30th, 2012
9:41 pm
@OPEN YOUR EYES
Your caps are locked and BTW those teams have to see the Birds also….we wont just lay down!
Seen This B 0-4
September 30th, 2012
9:42 pm
Shad up suckers!
Big Crimson 75
September 30th, 2012
9:43 pm
The Falcons are gonna stomp Washington next week.
Smitty won’t lose to Me-Angelo.
TROTTINGHOME
September 30th, 2012
9:44 pm
Where’s matty choke ryan and nooodle arm posters at…suckers
phil
September 30th, 2012
9:49 pm
Speaking of choke’s, way to go, ryder cup team….
Booooooooooo!!
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
9:52 pm
@ PHIL- THANKS MAN, FINALLY SOMEBODY THAT DOESN’T TOLERATE MEDIOCRITY IN THIS BLOG!!!!! IM SICK AND TIRED OF JUST BARELY BEATING THESE WEAK TEAMS!!! WE NEED TO BLOW THESE TEAMS OUT!!!
OH YEAH AND DOES ANYBODY SEE RAY EDWARDS, BECAUSE HE KEEPS PULLING THE DISAPPEARING ACT ON US EVERY STINKIN WEEK!!!!! OUR PASS RUSH IS AVERAGE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GENERATE CONSISTENT PRESSURE TO THE OPPOSING OB’S!!! WE ONLY SACK CAM TWICE!!!!!
Answer this
September 30th, 2012
9:53 pm
Another thing I noticed ….the Birds were averaging 31 points a game before this game….wow even after a bad game guess how many we averaging? You are correct!
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
9:54 pm
4 – 0 staying undefeated and only two undefeated teams left in the NFL and starting a drive on the 1 and no timeouts and a minute to play ? Are ya kidding me ?Some of you are not breathing or crazy one ! ……………………………………………………….
BiggDawgK
September 30th, 2012
9:54 pm
I only got to listen to the last 2 minutes after I left the historical record breaking game at Turner Field but that was a darn awesome 2 minutes. I am enjoying these perfect weekends from the Bulldogs, Falcons and Braves and I just hope they continue to spoil me and all the fans of the virtuous and right in the state of Georgia.
On a related topic, has anyone else seen the Thomas DeCoud meow interview on youtube? It’s pretty hilarious.
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
9:55 pm
Matt Ryan is da man……………..the hour of power……too sweet to be sour………………….alias………………………. Matty ‘ Ice’ Ryan , ” The Assassin “…………………………..
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
9:55 pm
@ANSWER THIS- I’VE BEEN ON THIS BLOG FOR MANY YEARS AND EVERYBODY KNOWS I WRITE LIKE THIS!!!!! IT’S MY SIGNATURE STYLE!!!!
ANYONE WHO DOESN’T LIKE IT JUST DON’T READ IT, IT’S NOT LIKE IT’S KILLING YOUR HEALTH!!!!
Big Crimson 75
September 30th, 2012
9:55 pm
DON’T WORRY WE WILL ALL SEE IF WE ARE THE TEAM WE REALLY ARE, COME NEXT MONTH WHEN WE FACE THE EAGLES, COWBOYS, AND SAINTS ALL IN A ROW!!!!!
—-
Great!!
Our schedule gets easier.
phil
September 30th, 2012
9:56 pm
Pass rush?
Aside from Abe, it doesn’t exist….
And back to the stupid ryder cup for a moment…..it’s golf, you morons. Those sissy boys look absurd hoping around like jackasses over hitting the ball in a hole.
I love playing golf, or pretending to, but to act like that over golf is just silly.
air of mendacity
September 30th, 2012
9:59 pm
Falcons won a game they should not have won – the key is a win – no matter how ugly. We will beat Redskins easily and Raiders the week after – to go 6-0. At that point, the playoff spot is locked up and it will only be a question of if we win the division – that too looks like a done deal if we start 6-0.
run D concerns me a lot – it needs to get better if we expect to go deep into playoffs.
Nate
September 30th, 2012
10:01 pm
Are you kidding me? Nevermind the fact he missed the fullback leaking into the left side of the endzone on the same play as pass interference on the tight end in the first quarter because he became fixated on the right and never looked for a checkdown play.
Nevermind the fact he took a sack before they had to settle for a the field goal on the prior drive to the game winner early in the fourth quarter.
Nevermind the fact he took a sack while running out of bounds on 3rd and 3 taking away the option of going for it on fourth down because he failed to throw the ball away.
Bottomline, Cam Newton holds onto the ball, the Falcons lose and Ryan is the goat for taking that sack because the Falcons obviously would not have gotten the ball back.
Ryan got bailed out. He’s not great. He’s lucky. And his luck will run out in the playoffs yet again.
He’s just not that smart.
dean
September 30th, 2012
10:01 pm
Roger Staubach. Joe Montana. John Elway. They all made livings, and crushed hearts, doing what Ryan did at the end today. Eventually, Ryan will be in that group.
rooster
September 30th, 2012
10:03 pm
Goldenrod, my good man, losing on your own field by three touchdowns to the University of a Third of a State is not a bump in the road. We’ve all heard of team victories. Well, what Tech experienced yesterday was a program defeat.
Big Crimson 75
September 30th, 2012
10:05 pm
Nate — basically what you’re saying is Cam lost the game today.
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:06 pm
JSS
September 30th, 2012
6:59 pm
Said the same thing after the Bears in 2008…
Said the same thing after the Jets in 2009…
Said the same thing after the 49ers, Packers, and Ravens in 2010…
and Mark Bradley declares it again after today…
****************************************************
…………………………….ok Bradley, declare it tomorrow.
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
10:07 pm
So if Matt Ryan is a choke artist, then what is can newton? People are tooting his horn more than Matt ryan. He still hasn’t had a winning season and he choked at the end of the game today. Superman my butt.
air of mendacity
September 30th, 2012
10:07 pm
NATE — yeah – I was cussing Ryan for taking that sack at the end, but the game moves much faster than we mere mortals realize. That guy closed on him quickly and he did not see him until it was too late. Normally Matt throws that away. Give him a break – he was trying to string the play out and make a big play.
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:09 pm
Nate
September 30th, 2012
10:01 pm
*********************************
Nate, I ain’t trying to split hairs with ya………………honestly, there were a couple of sacks that Ryan should have thrown the ball away…………..another when he had an outlet pass available out to the right. But that last one was just inexcusable.
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:10 pm
When you play division rival teams twice a year they always are tougher games than playing teams you face once or maybe never see but one time every two years……it is the nature of the beast to have same division teams play each other very tough and out there today was a hard fought football game up to the very end with both teams nearing total exhaustion at the final seconds…………..look for other close tough games coming against Tampa Bay and New Orleans…………………………………….
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
10:11 pm
@ Nate
You are right. But after all those things. The falcons were on their own 1 yd line with no time outs. Ryan made a clutch throw and white made a clutch catch.
Noodle arm? I think not.
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:11 pm
air of mendacity
September 30th, 2012
10:07 pm
NATE — yeah – I was cussing Ryan for taking that sack at the end, but the game moves much faster than we mere mortals realize. That guy closed on him quickly and he did not see him until it was too late. Normally Matt throws that away. Give him a break – he was trying to string the play out and make a big play.
*********************************
I have to disagree. All he had to do was throw the ball out of bounds past the line of scrimmage. He’s a pro, simple……..all he has to do is execute.
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:13 pm
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:10 pm
When you play division rival teams twice a year they always are tougher games than playing teams you face once or maybe never see but one time every two years……it is the nature of the beast to have same division teams play each other very tough and out there today was a hard fought football game up to the very end with both teams nearing total exhaustion at the final seconds…………..look for other close tough games coming against Tampa Bay and New Orleans…………………………………….
**********************************
The Birds were a little flat today. Tough to blame the defense, Panthers have a lot of weapons. But when we had to have it we got it and that is what championships are built on.
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:15 pm
Oh my ……………..those was some beautiful long throws through the air to Mr. White………………………………..Ryan has the touch…………………
Mora less Petrino
September 30th, 2012
10:15 pm
Big Crimson 75 –
I agree with you. Eagles are lucky they are not 0-3 and I wouldn’t bet them right now with a 7-3 lead at the half. Falcons have more talent than the Saints and the Saints D is like a broken levee. The Cowboys beat the Giants then were whipped by the Seahawks, and are -7 on net points. I doubt the Falcons will go into any of those games thinking they are outmatched. I doubt the oddsmakers will view the Birds as underdogs either. If they do, it won’t be by much.
Bring ‘em on!
I dropped my fried twinkie
September 30th, 2012
10:15 pm
let M.V.7 lose tonight and it will be even better.
Matty Bicep
September 30th, 2012
10:16 pm
No such thing as a weak team on the NFL, sorry Open Your Eyes….Did you see Rogers get sacked 8 times last week? It happens, but it is how they respond that shows who they are.
scam newton
September 30th, 2012
10:16 pm
karma for scam newton. too cocky, too arrogant and too much show-boating. a-town stomp in the endzone, arrogant finger pointing every first down. i understand all nfl players like to celebrate and point down the field after a first down but it seems like cam does it to promote himself instead of his team. you have to respect the game and the team concept and he does not do that. i loved the fact that this loss fell square on his shoulders. but also dont want to give him too much credit bc the falcons may have got a little lucky but at the same time they TOOK that game when given the chance. go birds!
Fukowi
September 30th, 2012
10:16 pm
We have an incredible, gutsy, highly intelligent QB. Be glad for that – it can take years to find one. We need to protect him better and continue to build around him. Its all about entertainment – and today was quite entertaining.
Falcon James
September 30th, 2012
10:18 pm
The Falcon put a W in the column. They gained some valuable experience that will useful the next time we play the kitty cats. No one can take this game away. Our team played their hearts out. The adapted and they overcame and that is all that matters.
It also doesn’t hurt anyone feelings that the Saint are still OhFur!!
Answer this
September 30th, 2012
10:18 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Funny post Jeremiah Wright FUNNY!
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
10:18 pm
@MICHEAL M.- CAN YOU PLEASE CALM DOWN!!!! I KNOW YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE TEAM BUT WE ALL KNOW WE WERE GONNA BE GOOD AGAIN THIS SEASON!!!
WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THE PLAYOFFS!!!! YOU KNOW WHY?? BECAUSE EVERY TEAM STARTS OVER AT 0-0 AND RECORD DOESN’T MEAN A THING!!!! YOU NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON OUR WEAKNESSES SO THAT WE IMPROVE EACH WEEK AND BE ABLE TO BEAT THE GREAT TEAMS LIKE PACKERS AND GIANTS!!! STOP CELEBRATING WE HAVEN’T ACHIEVED ANYTHING THIS SEASON!!!!
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
10:20 pm
Actually, I believe JSS is probably “whistling past the graveyard” which is a perfect description of his time spent here on ye olde blog.
Answer this
September 30th, 2012
10:20 pm
My bad Open your eyes……but man relax we won……do we have to win pretty? Still got to go home with the hot chick! Who cares that she is wearing jeans instead of a mini skirt? She still goes home with us!
Matty Bicep
September 30th, 2012
10:20 pm
“WE WERE GONNA BE GOOD AGAIN THIS SEASON!!!”
Ahh, so did the Panthers….Playoffs? PLAYOFFS? My god son, it is only September and your talking PLAYOFFS?
Getaway
September 30th, 2012
10:22 pm
While I would of liked for the Falcons to have blown out the Panthers as well, let’s consider for a moment that Carolina had 10 days to prepare for this game and Atlanta had to travel back from the west coast. You can’t dismiss any NFL team, especially one with the weapons that Carolina has.
I just hope this was a wake up game for the Falcons. There was a lot of hype over the 3-0 start. They have been all over the news, sports blogs, the world-wide leader and the NFL Network. All of these have been distractions. Maybe now they will get back to flying under the radar.