By Don Stone - Football
Atlanta
There's nothing like the
start of a new NFL season. All teams are hopeful of a successful run.
Everyone, except the Packers, is still undefeated.
And what better way to open a season than to do it at home in
the Georgia Dome and to have the rival Saints as the opponent? Of course,
the Falcons are coming off a horrendous 4-12 season and the Saints were
11-5. They're also the team most experts pick to win the NFC South this
year.
One key will be how Atlanta's
revamped offensive line will hold up against Drew Brees,
who has always done well against them, even in their best seasons. The QB
also has a few new weapons, including first round draft choice
Brandin Cooks from Oregon State. The speedy
wide receiver has shown the ability in preseason to turn small catches into
big gains.
"It's unexplainable," he said. "I'm excited to go down to the ATL
and play those guys," he told the New Orleans Times Picayune.
And, then there's that tight end, Jimmy Graham,
who also feeds off Falcons...and everyone
else.
Atlanta has a few weapons of their own on offense. Matt Ryan
is right up there among the best quarterbacks
in the league and should put up great numbers this season with a healthy
Julio Jones and Roddy White
to throw to, both missing much of last season with injuries. The key element
in the game will be how well Atlanta's first rounder, LB Jake
Matthews will fare in keeping Ryan off his
back, a position Matt was all too familiar with last season.
This is kind of like a foreign exchange program. Yesterday, the
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets traveled to New Orleans to play the Tulane Green
Wave in their new stadium. They headed back home with a win. Now, Atlanta
will host that town's pro team.
Speaking of the Yellow Jackets, as Georgia Bulldogs like to point out, a
rivalry needs to have both teams playing well to be a real rivalry. And,
that has not been the case here. Since head coach Sean Payton
and Brees have been at the helm, New Orleans has won 13 of the past 16
matchups between the NFC South teams.
But, the games are always close and great to watch with six of the
previous seven being decided by six points or less.
As expected, a chorus of boos greeted the Saints as they began
filing on the field. And, as is always the case, a good number of New
Orleans fans had infiltrated the crowd to return the favor. The fans were
ready.
The Saints got the ball
first at their 20. Cooks got his wish early bringing down his first NFL catch
for 32 yards to the AF 40. Marques Colston
converted a first down at the 18. But a hands to the face penalty on RT
Zach Strief moved the drive back to
the 27. They couldn't overcome the loss, even with a 14 yard completion to
Cooks and settled for a 31 yard Shayne Graham
field goal to put the Saints on the board
first 3-0.
The Saints had done virtually everything right on their first
drive, except the penalty. Atlanta, on the other hand did nothing on theirs. Short
gains by Steven Jackson and
Harry Douglas were followed by a false start
and incompletion. How long would Jackson remain in the game before rookies
Atone Smith and Devonta Freeman
would see get their shot? The same could be said of Mark Ingram with New
Orleans. Neither back had reached potential in their respective uniforms.
New Orleans would start their next drive in better field position
at their 39.
On a third and 7, Pierre Thomas
broke a few tackles and got to midfield for a first down. Brees converted
another third and long with a 13 yard hit to Graham. The drive stalled
thanks to a great block by CB Robert Alford
in the end zone. A field goal made the lead 6, but it could have been much
worse with both drives.
Devin Hester, so far, looking
nothing like the threat he was with the Bears, put the Falcons in a hole by
taking the kick in the end zone and only making it to the 16. But Ryan got
them 17 yards upfield by finding Douglas at the 33. The play was challenged
by the Saints but ruled a catch costing them a time out. Jackson got three
to the 36. White made his first reception of the season to midfield. Jackson
picked up four to the outside with TE Levine Tollolo
converting the first down at the NO 40. Shades of Tony Gonzalez
as Tollolo converted again at the 25. Then the promising drive was snuffed
out as Julio Jones fumbled the ball
into the end zone to give the Saints the ball at the 20. Still no points.
Graham got things started with a six yard catch, then dragged Alford for
17 yards to the 43 and the second quarter. Cooks took a hand off and
sprinted 18 more to the AF 39. RB Khiry Robinson
refused to go down until he got 21 more.
Graham hurdled over Stanley Maponga
for seven more to the 11. Cooks kept busy with nine more and Robinson sealed
the deal. As he did, the crowd erupted revealing even more Saints fans
present than I had realized.
The Jones fumble may turn out to be the turning point in the game as his
team now had to overcome a 13 point deficit. No easy task against an offense
that had done pretty much what they wanted so far.
Douglas helped the cause with a big third and ten 35 yard reception to
the NO 43. Harry did it again for 16 more to the 22. But a holding call
undid the damage and moved them back 10 to the 48. Jackson finally showed
his presence with a 17 yard burst to the 26. Ryan scrambled on the next two
plays to pick up another first down at the 20. On a third and 15, Douglas
drew a pass interference call to give the drive new life at the 13.
Jaquizz Rodgers would get to the three before
a holding call moved them back to a second and 17 at the 20.
Hester saved his team by catching the ball for seven yards and willing his
way for six more to the two. White brought the crowd back to life with an
historic acrobatic catch in the
corner of the end zone to put his team halfway back 13-7.
Historic for a thrower and receiver. With the TD pass, Ryan
tied former Falcons QB
Steve Bartkowski
for the franchise record for most-career passing TDs (154), The TD moved
White into a second place tie with WR
Andre Rison,
for most-career TD receptions in franchise history (56),
Now the defense had to keep New Orleans from adding more points, which
they hadn't been able to do in their first three drives. No luck this time either as Cooks, Robinson and Thomas
combined for 21 to quickly get the Saints to their 46. Thomas carried it for
13 more into Falcons territory. Twelve more were tacked on by Thomas to the
29. Robert McClain helped the
wrong team with a holding penalty taking it to the 24. Thomas again for 11
more to the 13. Colston pulled one down for 10 more to the three as the
Saints took their second time out with 23 seconds left in the half. Another
score would put them up 20-7.
Atlanta would make the most of their limited time and get the ball close
enough for a field goal to make it 20-10 at the half.
But, they would play the second half short handed as It was announced
that White and Jake Matthews had
sustained injuries with their return questionable.
It started positive as Ryan scrambled and found Jones for 20 at the 46.
But, good news as White did make it back in the game and immediately picked
up 11 into Saints territory. With Matthews watching from the sideline,
Rodgers scampered for seven more to the 32. The same play that had resulted
in a fumble at the goal line by Jones worked this time without the turnover
for 27 yards taking the Falcons to the two. Ryan flashed back to last year
and found his tight end for the score to pull them to within three, 20-17.
The next drive began with a 21 yard William Moore
pass interference call at the 36. A sack of Brees was negated as McClain
drew another call, illegal use of the hands to give them a new set of downs.
But, finally, the defense held forcing the Saints' first punt of the game.
Jackson started the drive with a nice 10 yard carry to the right. Looking
like Michael Vick, Ryan scrambled for
nine but came up a yard shy of the first down. A disapproving crowd booed
the choice to punt. But at the 41, it was the right call. The Falcons would
need another stop from its defense. Samuel L. Jackson
on the matrix board exhorted the fans to "Rise Up." The decibel measure
seemed to be measuring an incredible noise level. But, the crowd barely gave
Brees cause to notice. The only rising up was done by Colston as he pulled
in a 57 yard pass putting the Saints at the AF 18. The defense took their
turn to rise up in a big way as McClain made amends and picked off a sure
touchdown pass for a huge interception in the end zone.
The play turned out to be even more significant resulting in a 14 point
turnaround in a matter of just a few minutes. Antone Smith made an incredible
play with a catch of a short five yard pass at the 50, then dodged tacklers
all the way to put Atlanta up for the first time 24-20.
Brees picked up where he left off with an 11 yard pitch to Graham at the
38. The Saints were almost stopped when Brees picked up nine and a first
down at the AF 48 on a Cooks catch. The elusive QB avoided a sack and ran
out of bounds at the 46. On still another third and long, Brees hit Thomas
for 19 to the 27. Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan
could not be happy as he watched the Saints peel off another 19 to the three
on an Ingram run followed by another carry for six. New Orleans was back on
top 27-24.
The Saints defense would hold as they sacked Ryan for a 12 yard loss
forcing a punt, taking the punt at their 26 with 7:03 remaining in the
game.
A stop here was crucial if Atlanta was going to have a chance to
pull the win out. On a huge third and six, Alford deflected a pass forcing
the Saints' first three and out. The punt rolled to the 16 with a holding
call pinning Atlanta at their own six with 6:16 on the clock. Julio to the
rescue pulling one down for a much needed 23 yards and some breathing room
to the 29. If Atlanta wins this, they may look back at the next play as one
of the biggest of the game. On a third and six, Hester grabbed one and took
it out of bounds sixteen yards later at midfield. CB Patrick Robinson
was shaken up on the play. Douglas made another big catch with Hester
getting eight more. A nifty 17 yard run by Rodgers gave the Falcons the lead
back with 2:50 left to go. Down by four, New Orleans would need a touchdown
to win.
But plenty of time for this potent Saints offense, especially with all
three timeouts left. A false start gave them a first and 15 at the. Graham
got ten of it back with the impressive Cooks getting 12 more for a first
down at the 46. A crucial pass interference call gave them the ball at the
25. Colston took it to the 12 with just 1:44 left in the game. Atlanta
called its first time out, then its second. New Orleans punched it in for
the lead with 1:20 go go. I made the comment in the press box that they may
have left Ryan too much time. They did.
Douglas got them 13 but in the middle of the field. Same thing with Julio
to the 45. Atlanta's time problem was helped when Robinson was hurt again
forcing the refs to stop the clock at 0:43. Atlanta made it to the NE 34 and downed the ball
to stop the clock at 0:24. After a short pitch to Rodgers, the Falcons had
to stop the clock with their final timeout at 0:12. Matt Bryant
was brought
in to send the game into overtime with a 51-yard field goal as time
ran out in regulation.
What a game. Multiple lead changes. And now tied at 34 with the first
game of the season going into overtime.
New Orleans began OT at their 20. Did the Falcon defense have one
more stop in them?
They did as William Moore knocked the ball out of Colston's hands giving
Atlanta the ball at
the NO 38.
Jackson got three hard fought yards to the 35. His next carry only got
one bringing up a third and six at the 34. Were the Falcons just playing for
a field goal? Apparently so as Bryant came in and put a 52 yarder through.
The crowd erupted for a fantastic win in an even more incredible game. Final
score Atlanta 37, New Orleans 34.
The Falcons amassed 568 total net yards
in the win, the highest single-game yardage total in franchise history.
Ryan had thrown for 448 passing yards single game franchise record.
He also became the Falcons all-time leader in touchdown passes (156).
“I
thought Matt may have played his best game as an Atlanta Falcon," head coach
Mike Smith
said. "He’s played a lot of games for us, and made a lot of plays, but I was
really impressed with his ability to extend some plays today, moving in the
pocket and actually getting out and running the football."
"It’s a good start. We’ve got a long way to go,"
said Ryan. "That’s one thing that I have learned in six years previous to
this, is it’s a long season. You can’t get too high and too low after week
one. It’s certainly a good start for us in the division. It’s what we wanted
to do. We’ll enjoy it tonight but we’ve got to get back to work. We’re going
against a very good defense against Cincinnati next week. We’ll enjoy it
tonight.”
In the end, all you could say is, "now that's more like it." |
