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
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258 comments Add your comment
Matty Bicep
September 30th, 2012
10:23 pm
Fact is, since the expecations are not to just get to the playoffs, but to win in the playoffs just shows how far this teams has come….We did not even sniff the playoff Vicks last 2 years.
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:25 pm
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.
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Not everybody knows and the last thing I would call it is STYLE.
Big Crimson 75
September 30th, 2012
10:25 pm
4 & 0 is what matters most.
This Team can/will improve.
We still haven’t played our best ball.
Once Julio gets his head out of his a$$, watch out.
Ray Edwards — no hope for him. Unless Lystarya gets him motivated!!
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
10:25 pm
LOL…read that last “JSS” post (I think an imposter) to yourself using a foghorn-leghorn over the top southern drawl…
bigbobbles
September 30th, 2012
10:26 pm
I want to congratulate the Braves and Falcons!! I wish I was as perfect as Choke and JSS! Love you Sonny……where are you?
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:29 pm
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.
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That’s the thing. The Falcons got a game that should keep them grounded and still got a win.
Eric
September 30th, 2012
10:31 pm
I admit I was pretty down on this team after Carolina went up 28-24 late in the 4th. We are too good a team to be in such a fight with a team that just got destroyed by the Giants. Still, now that I think about it, this was a classic let-down game. We had a short week after having routed the Chargers on Monday Night Football and were facing a division rival that was extremely motivated and had 10 days to prepare for us.
And yet we won.
I now think that it really doesn’t matter that we had to rely on some Matt Ryan heroics and a forced fumble to get the win. We got the win and that’s what counts. Believe me, even the 16-0 Patriots of 2007 had some squeakers that shouldn’t have been so close (really they should never have lost to the Giants in the SB). This team is special because on a day where we thought we could just show up and win, we did.
When was the last time a Falcons team could say that?
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:31 pm
Most of the weakness in the Atlanta Falcons are the few unfaithful cry-babies that get on here each and every week ………………whimpering about things out of their control that they can’t change…………….Get OVER it……………………………..We lead the division and have a nice cushion now …………………………………………..
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:32 pm
wanna glass of kool-aid JSS ?
air of mendacity
September 30th, 2012
10:36 pm
can we stick to football without all the crap about “trolling” ?? etc. – if not, just get off the blog. I want to bs about football not all this other stuff – is this common on these sites? Just curious.
Panic fan
September 30th, 2012
10:36 pm
Great team win today we looked like we got away from what we have been doing in previous games,it did not even seem as if the same coaches called this game .Hope the staff wont use that game plan for both sides of the ball again it was bad Seems the panthers played there A game and we were at our worst they played like the throw back uniforms teams of old But we overcame all the bad plays with 3-4 champion style plays to win the game I have been a fan since 1971 and what we saw today was special 4-0 YALL BETTER GIVE US CREDIT WE ARE NOT THE FALCONS OF OLD
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
10:36 pm
I don’t get the hate for JSS. Although he’s a bit pessimistic sometimes, he mostly keeps it real. Hes right, None of this matters if the falcons don’t get it done in the post season. I guess he is picking the wrong place to “keep it real”. This is a fan blog and fans will be fans, you will see over reactions. If it bugs you, leave.
Getaway
September 30th, 2012
10:40 pm
Esquire
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled with the win. The best part was that they kept their confidence and never took themselves out of the game.
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
10:40 pm
Yall realize that the only way to fix the troll problem is to ignore. Give them no attention and pretty soon they are gonna get bored of talking to themselves.
I’m talking about MCR more then anyone else.
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:41 pm
Wow ……………..open your eyes, you need to chill the nasty…………….this is public you know ………………………………………
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
10:41 pm
POOR MICHEAL M. YOU ARE SO YOUNG AND NAIVE!!!! I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL THE PLAYOFFS AND WATCH THE FALCONS LOSE YET ANOTHER PLAYOFF GAME AND SEE YOU IN THE CORNER CRYING A FREAKIN RIVER!!!!!!!!!!
William Shakesphere
September 30th, 2012
10:41 pm
I do believe that Mr. JSS doest protest too much.
JSS
September 30th, 2012
10:43 pm
Sheep need to be herded… When you have people who need affirmation from the herd, you get these folks… When they realize they can’t run you off, they play the perversion cards…
Answer this
September 30th, 2012
10:43 pm
@ air of mendacity
Hate to share this with you air but so many haters get on here to bash the home team so real fans dont like it and kick feet in their angus….get used to it if you hang around….
I HAVE NO SON!
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:44 pm
well, ty, for the compliment on being young…………ha ! ………oh ,how I wish I could be again……………….we will worry playoffs when and if the time comes upon us……………………………………………
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:45 pm
JSS and the sheeples…………….lmao…………………………………
Answer this
September 30th, 2012
10:45 pm
@atlfalconsfan0125
Hate to break it to you but that does not work….trolls like to roam…..and they always roam here
Panic fan
September 30th, 2012
10:46 pm
We were at our worst today got away from what has been working,looked like the old falcons playing in the throw backs today Carolina played there A game we overcame our poor play with 3-4 championship style plays to win THIS IS NOT THE FALCONS OF OLD 4-0 IS A GOOD START TO A SPECIAL SEASON
close your eyes
September 30th, 2012
10:46 pm
shout, shout, let it all out, these are the things I can do without
come on, I’m talking to you, come on
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
10:48 pm
MICHEAL M. TRUST ME I CAN HANDLE MY OWN!!!! I REMEMBER THE OLD DAYS WHEN I WAS A YOUNG FALCONS FAN JUST LIKE YOU AND THE WORLD WAS SO NICE AND INNOCENT!!! EVERY YEAR I WAS CELEBRATING IN THE REGULAR SEASON ABOUT OUR REGULAR SEASON WINS, BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME MICHEAL, OVER TIME THEY NEVER WON IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!! THEY KEPT LETTING ME DOWN YEAR AFTER YEAR AND MY HEART COULDN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE, SO NOW THAT MANY YEARS OF EMBARRASSMENT IN THE PLAYOFFS HAVE GONE BY I SWORE TO MYSELF NEVER TO GET TOO HAPPY ABOUT THE REGULAR SEASON, BECAUSE WHAT IT ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO IS WINNING AGAINST GREAT TEAMS AND GETTING THAT SUPER BOWL!!!
Sigmund Freud
September 30th, 2012
10:49 pm
Undoubtedly, the fact that this individual……..JSS, response to potentially embarrassing personal allegations in such an awkward, basically unintelligible fashion, demonstrates his unstable persona, and ultimately his admission of guilt.
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
10:52 pm
@CLOSE YOUR EYES IS MY ALTER EGO LOL
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
10:53 pm
Feels good to be called a youngun but I remember when they played in Fulton County Stadium …………………………….Alfred Jenkins, Claude Humphrey , Bart, Cain , William Andrews ?…………………………….lol………………..
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:54 pm
JSS
September 30th, 2012
10:29 pm
is that you’re babbling…
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Dude, you know babbling…………..it’s your specialty. Among other things.
Esquire
September 30th, 2012
10:55 pm
Sigmund Freud
September 30th, 2012
10:49 pm
Undoubtedly, the fact that this individual……..JSS, response to potentially embarrassing personal allegations in such an awkward, basically unintelligible fashion, demonstrates his unstable persona, and ultimately his admission of guilt.
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It’s obvious.
JSS
September 30th, 2012
10:57 pm
Ha ha, a FAKE being fooled by a FAKE… Esquire, even for you that is said in its implications…
JSS
September 30th, 2012
10:57 pm
“sad”
OPEN YOUR EYES
September 30th, 2012
10:59 pm
MICHEAL M.- OH MY MISTAKE HAHAHAHA YOU’RE A VETERAN LIKE ME MAN!!!! I LOVED THOSE DAYS IN THE FULTON COUNTY STADIUM ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY BRAVES WON THEIR EVENTUAL CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST THE INDIANS!!!
Michael M.
September 30th, 2012
11:03 pm
I am as old as a fine wine……………….lmao here
atler8
September 30th, 2012
11:04 pm
Ijonathan
Thanks for the Foghorn Leghorn reference. It fits perfectly, ahh say ahh say!
JONESBORO SLIM
September 30th, 2012
11:04 pm
Good teams alway find a way to win even when they’re play isn’t that good…this game will only make the Falcons better all the miss-cues today will be cleaned up…
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
11:05 pm
Closing these comments.
T-Bone
October 1st, 2012
8:41 am
I want to hear a conversation between Chiba and Sonny Clusters!!
Tree
October 1st, 2012
8:43 am
Thank you Superman! We could not have seen Ryan and White’s heroic feats without you!
Ponder
October 1st, 2012
8:46 am
Most people that leave the game early leave because of the traffic jam they face after a game, leave with 5 min to go in the game and have no problem getting on 75, wait until the game is over and it takes an hour or longer. They need better parking in atlanta for the braves and falcons just sayin,
ghj
October 1st, 2012
8:47 am
Where are all the Saints fans, 0-4 they don’t come out , huh ?
Preston
October 1st, 2012
8:47 am
The Falcons are going to have to do the same thing Georgia has to do. Stay grounded and don’t expect to win just cuz you ain’t lost one yet. Both teams got their comeupence this weekend. I noticed Weatherspoon didn’t do his African Zulu dance yesterday. Not a lot to brag about, huh. The Falcons got their feather plucked yesterday but they have enough skilled players to overcome it. Roddy had an unreal day. One of the most important I’ve seen him have.
And Goldenrod….tech did ‘underestimate’ MTSU. Their scouting on that team stunk up the field. Those boys came to play and were good at. Tech just get their butts handed to um.
Failcant fans are a joke
October 1st, 2012
8:48 am
They want to be crowned champs for a 4-0 record…win a Lombardi or stfu until you do…what a joke….look at all this false hubris from people like Michael M….but,nthen again, you are rednecks from Ga and perennial losers….
Win a Lombardi and you get respect…until then…you’re still the loser FAILCANTS with NO SB RING AND NO PLAYOFF VICTORIES IN 3 YEARS…TRUTH HURTS, HUH? Must be miserable to be a delusional zealot…lmao…
Senior falcon
October 1st, 2012
8:48 am
Wish we could pick up a decent tackle and move “Turnstile” Clabo to guard or the bench.
mr zizzle
October 1st, 2012
8:49 am
hey Saints fans….Where are you now? Loving your misery!
Failcant fans are a joke
October 1st, 2012
8:50 am
FAILCANTS have NOT won a SB and acting like they have…bush league….who gets arrested this week? Fat boy Mikey Smith for cutting in front of someone in the buffet line?….
Dawgs1
October 1st, 2012
8:52 am
Matt Ryan great never
Dawgs1
October 1st, 2012
8:55 am
If that safety knocks the all down its over.btw you hav to win a couple playoff game to be great.falcons like tech sucks
Failcant fans are a joke
October 1st, 2012
8:55 am
Where’s your SB ring, fat boy Michael M? Right…you got nothing….too bad the Lombardi requires more than 4 wins….FAILCANTS will NEVER win a SB….at least the Aints, Caints and Saints have one…ya got nothing…disappointment around the corner…will be so funny, yet predictable, to watch the FAILCANTS fall apart as usual…lmao just thinking about it…
Dads gto
October 1st, 2012
8:58 am
A FUN game to watch. And Curtis Compton ….great photo on RW’s catch!