GKS Contributor
ATLANTA- Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has been nothing short of impressive in his first two years as an NFL quarterback. So, it may sound hyperbolic to call his performance Sunday at the Georgia Dome his best professional game to date.
But then again, it would be hard to argue it wasn’t.
Ryan threw three touchdown passes, completed all but six attempts (including thirteen in a row at one point), and amassed 220 yards through the air in a 28-20 victory.
The win gave Atlanta (2-0) a two game lead over Carolina (0-2), the team that edged out the Falcons by a game to win the NFC South in 2008. Atlanta and the Saints are tied for first atop the NFC South.
But the Falcons nearly blew a 15 point fourth quarter lead, with the Panthers nearly forcing overtime on a bizarre sequence at the end of the game.
With eight seconds to play, Carolina drove to midfield, where they had an opportunity to throw a Hail Mary in hopes of setting up a game tying two point conversion. Jake Delhomme’s pass was deflected up in the air in the end zone; and, for a split second, it appeared wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett came down with the ball off a tip to score a touchdown.
However, the ball hit the ground. But the drama was not over.
Referee Don Carey belatedly called for a replay review to see if any time remained on the clock. The only problem was, both teams had already left for the locker room.
Replay confirmed no time was left on the clock.
“I am sure glad of the decision that was made,” said Falcons coach Mike Smith. “We may have had to pull some guys out of the shower, re-tape them, and get them out of there.”
The Falcons’ sloppy clock management and defensive miscues in the waning moments nearly nullified an outstanding performance by Ryan, his receivers, and his running backs.
“We still have a long way to go,” said Ryan. “I think we can make a lot of improvements. We had a lot of turnovers today, which you can’t do in divisional games.”
Smith says he was pleased with the production the Falcons got offensively, both in the air and on the ground.
“Turner went over 100 yards, which is to the core of what we want to do,” said Smith. “We want to be a team that runs the football.”
“(Ryan) was distributing the ball extremely well. He got us in an out of good plays, which is what we expect our quarterback to do.”
After a nip and tuck first half that featured four lead changes, it appeared the Falcons were finally able to put the game away five plays into the fourth quarter, when running back Michael Turner stumbled into the end zone from one yard out, giving Atlanta a 28-13 lead. The 12 play drive wasn’t the Falcons prettiest of the day, but it was among the most effective. It ate nearly seven minutes off the clock, and included one of two successful fourth down conversions they had on the day.
The Panthers were able to make it interesting, though. Quarterback Jake Delhomme connected with tight end Dante Rosario on a controversial 11 yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to eight. It appeared Rosario never had control of the football, and, in fact, one referee ruled it an incomplete pass. But a replay review confirmed the call of the overruling official.
Then, after a Falcons three and out, the Panthers took possession of the ball at their own 33 with more than five minutes to play. Poor tackling on a DeAngelo Williams run moved the Panthers past midfield. A circus sideline catch by wide receiver Steve Smith took Carolina into the red zone.
But running back Jonathan Stewart nearly fumbled away the game at the Atlanta 18. Delhomme was nearly picked on the next play, when he wildly lobbed the ball into the air while in the grasp of Kroy Bierman. And on fourth down, Delhomme was intercepted, when cornerback Chris Houston stepped in front of Smith at the goal line to put the game away.
The Falcons were on the verge of extending their lead to 15 points on their first drive of the third quarter, but Turner fumbled at the Carolina 8 yard line. It voided a crisp opening-half drive that included a Falcons conversion on fourth and inches.
But Carolina failed to capitalize, with Williams fumbling at midfield on the ensuing drive. As it turned out, neither team scored in the third quarter.
By the middle of the second quarter, it appeared the Falcons offense was finally getting on track. Twice, Ryan hooked up with wide receiver Marty Booker for long third down conversions (27 and 15 yards respectively). A shoe-top catch by tight end Tony Gonzalez, called incomplete on the field but reversed after a replay review, gave the Falcons another key third down conversion inside the Carolina 10 yard line. And Atlanta was able to convert their good fortune into seven points. A ten yard touchdown pass from Ryan to seldom used fullback Jason Snelling gave the Falcons a 14-10 advantage, the fourth lead change of the first half.
A pair of long receptions by wide receiver Steve Smith set up a Carolina field goal just after the two minute warning of the first half, when John Kasay drilled a 50 yard field goal, his second of the game. It cut the Atlanta lead to 14-13.
But Atlanta responded immediately. Eric Weems’ 41 yard kickoff return, a 20 yard rush by Snelling, and a 15 yard reception by Gonzalez (while being interfered with) set up Ryan’s third touchdown of the half, a seven yard hookup to wide receiver Roddy White. The 55 second drive gave the Falcons a 21-13 halftime lead. It was the first time in Ryan’s career the second-year quarterback threw three touchdown passes in a half.
Carolina’s first touchdown of the game came early in the second quarter, courtesy of a long bomb to Smith, and two nifty runs by running back DeAngelo Williams, the second of which when he juked Falcons cornerback Chris Houston for an easy three yard stroll into the end zone. It gave Carolina a 10-7 second quarter lead.
After being torn to pieces last week in a five turnover effort against Philadelphia, the game could not have started much better for quarterback Jake Delhomme. He took Carolina down the field with ease, before the first drive of the game drive stalled when Williams could not hold on to a swing pass on a key third down. Kasay converted a 38 yard field goal to salvage three points.
Ryan’s first interception of the season came late in the first quarter, when cornerback Richard Marshall stepped in front of intended receiver Marty Booker on a third down and long. It capped off a sloppy opening frame for the Falcons, who were penalized four times in the quarter.
But the Falcons got some new life at the end of the first quarter on a bizarre play, where a Carolina punt was partially blocked by Brian Williams, and popped straight into the hands of Mike Peterson. It set the Falcons up with their best starting field position of the day, their own 48 yard line. Two plays later, the Falcons took the lead, on a 29 yard Ryan missile caught on a dive by Gonzalez. It was the second touchdown hookup of the year between Ryan and Gonzalez.
NOTES: Falcons defensive tackle and first round draft pick Peria Jerry suffered an apparent left knee injury while rushing Delhomme in the fourth quarter. He did not return… Atlanta running back Jerious Norwood, who usually spells Turner for five to ten carries a game, was knocked out of the game with what team officials called a “head injury”… Smith did not elaborate on the condition of either Jerry or Norwood after the game. For the second straight week, the Falcons recorded an official sell out of the Georgia Dome, but, in fact, about one quarter of the seats at the Georgia Dome were empty.
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