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Live Blog from the Georgia Dome By Don Stone - Football Atlanta
73-0.
That's the number that keeps coming to mind when fans look at this matchup.
They don't offer much hope. That's the combined scores of the last two games
between the Falcons and their division rivals in their last two meetings.
For Carolina, there is the motivation of pouring it on their
division rivals in front of their own fans. Although, from the preponderance
of Carolina blue worn by the fans outside the Georgia Dome, this may be more
like a second home game.
But that is insignificant in terms of what will encourage the
Panthers to perform at their best. There is that history thing. They are
already one of only five teams ever to win their first 14 games. They have
their sites set on a perfect season winning all the way to the Super Bowl.
Yes, Miami did it in 1972. But that was in the shorter 14 game season. The
'72 Dolphins went 14–0 in the regular season and won all three post-season
games, including
Super Bowl VII against the
Washington Redskins, to finish 17–0.
New England is the only other team to finish their regular season
undefeated. They went 16-0 in the regular 2007 season and entered Super Bowl
XLII at 18-0 before losing by three points to the Giants.
So, that's what Carolina is playing for.
The Falcons would love to mess all that up for their rivals, especially
after their humiliating shutout loss two weeks earlier in Carolina. And,
faint as it is, Atlanta still has a slim chance of making the playoffs. They
have to win this one and the season finale next week against the Saints.
About seven other things have to go their way including losses in the last
two games by Minnesota and Seattle.
Carolina began the game at their 20. A handoff to Fozzy Whittaker
got them a quick 13. Ted Ginn, Jr. caught a pass for nine to the 45.
Cam Newton was making it look easy with a 15 yard toss to Greg Olsen
at the AF38. Corey Brown got his first catch at the 29. The QB kept
it for another first at the 24. Whittaker got nine more on the ground. A
roar went up as Newton finished the nearly flawless 5:32, 80 yard drive by
taking it the final eight untouched into the end zone to make it 7-0.
Atlanta immediately reverted to the form that cost them six
straight games when a bad snap on the first play made it first and 15. A
pass to Devonta Freeman was dropped as a scuffle ensued resulting in
an unnecessary roughness penalty on Charles Tillman moving the ball
to the 30. Roddy White made a six yard catch then converted a third
and two with another grab into Carolina territory at their 49. Terron
Ward picked up six for a third and five. Freeman broke free for 13 and
another first to the 31. Julio Jones' first catch brought up a third
and five at the 25. A pass to Jacob Tamme got another first at the
19. Spreading it around, Justin Hardy caught one at the 11. With
nothing open, Matt Ryan kept it for a first and goal at the four as
the first quarter came to an end.
Freeman closed the deal to tie the game at seven. Also going 80 yards,
the drive took 16 plays and 9:20 with 15 thanks to the early Panther
penalty. Their longest touchdown drive this season. Already more points than
in their last two games with Carolina combined.
Cameron Artis-Payne got a first down at the 32 on a seven yard
catch. A six yard carry by Payne got another first at the 45. Brown was wide
open up the middle for 11 more. Paul Soleil hand to be helped off the
field with a calf injury. That's as far as they got with the Falcons
taking over after a 31 yard punt at their 13.
A nice 13 yard pass to Jones followed by an off sides call put the ball
at the 37. Ryan avoided a fumble and TD by tossing the ball away at the last
second before a sack. A real sack by Kawann Short followed for a
seven yard loss. But, on a third and 12, Jones pulled one down for a first
down at the CP38. But their drive ended there. Matt Bosher punted 25
yards for a fair catch at the 15.
Artis-Payne got things started with a 31 yard carry to the AF39. Ginn,
Jr. had to be helped off the field with a knee injury. Newton hit
Jerricho Cotchery for 11. A false start put it back at the 46. Olsen
caught one for five. Like a bull, Newton dragged defenders seven yards to to
the 31 and a close first down. Artis-Payne added nine on the ground. But the
QB held it too long and was taken down for a 16 yard sack loss at the two
minute warning. The defense held and forced a punt that pinned Atlanta at
their one yard line with 1:42 left in the half. Justin Durant
suffered an oblique injury with his return questionable.
Ryan bought his team some breathing room with a 10 yard pass to Jones at
the 11. But, playing it safe, Atlanta just ran out the clock.
On the negative side, the Falcons had been held to the one opening drive
for their points. But, you had to see the bigger positive picture that they
had held the Panthers to the same opening drive seven points. Two other
positives. the Falcons got the ball first in the second half. And, Carolina
has been one of the worst teams in the NFL in second half scoring almost
letting the Saints and Giants pull off come from behind wins in recent
weeks.
The Falcons started off with Jones making a 25 yard catch and run to the
47. Ryan then hit White up the middle for another 16 at the CP37.
Freeman got another first with a run to the 24. Jones caught another for
six. At the 25, Shayne Graham was brought in for a 43 yard attempt.
But the kick was blocked for his first miss of the season to keep it tied.
Carolina took over at their 33.
The Panthers regained the lead on the next drive on a 33 yard Graham
Gano field goal.
Then the ghost of Christmas past showed up as Ryan threw a 70 yard bomb
downfield with Jones pulling it from high in the air and running it in the
last 20 yards for a go ahead touchdown. 14-10.
Many callers on local sports talk shows had claimed that Ryan
didn't have the arm strength to heave one like that anymore. He does.
Hard to contain, on a third and five, Newton found a way to pick up
the first on a rush to the 31. He found Cotchery for five as the game moved
into the final quarter. Again, the defense forced a punt that put the
ball at the 10 after a holding call.
Still 14 minutes left in the game and the sense was that four points
would not be enough. The offense still had some work to do.
CB Josh Norman was getting a lesson from Julio as the back flew 30
yards across the middle for a catch at the 40. Freeman added nine for a
third and one at the Atl49 then barelled his way through for 14 to the CP37.
Tamme caught a 5 yard pass but had the gain taken back with a false start.
Would the lead be 11, seven or four after this? Maybe no lead at all as Ryan
fumbled with Normal picking it up at the AF36.
Atlanta had managed to go the whole game to this point with no turnovers
and a lead was the result. But, as soon as they gave one away, the lead was
in jeopardy.
With just over 8 minutes to go, the Falcons desperately needed to keep
the Panthers out of the end zone. A field goal would still retain a one
point led.
Newton quickly went to work with a nine yard pass to Olsen. But, again
the defense stood its ground. A 47 yard field goal made it 14-13. Whittaker
had a right ankle injury and was out. With RB Jonathan Stewart
already not playing, Newton had yet another weapon missing from his arsenal.
Atlanta began a huge drive at their 21 with a 16 yard catch by White. A
short toss to Freeman as Ryan was going down saw the back take it to the 48.
Ryan chaned the play at the line of scrimmage and handed it to Freeman for
another first down into Panthers' territory at the 40. Confusion on the line
caused Ryan to call his first time out with 4:57 remaining. A short pass to
Freeman brought up a big third and nine at the 39. White made a huge catch
for a first at the 22. Not only could Atlanta take a few more minutes off
they clock, but they were at least in field goal range. Barring a mistake
Carolina should get the ball back needing at least four with less than a
minute to go.
Freeman dropped a pass at the 15 bringing up a third and 14 at 2:37.
Could that play be the difference in a win or a loss? Hardy caught one short
of the first down at the 19 as Carolina called their second time out. An all
important field goal would restore the four point lead and force the
Panthers to score a TD to win. Graham knocked it through from 37 to make it
17-13 with 2:23 to go.
Champions win games like this. Last week, they only needed a field goal
to pull out a last second win at New York. Carolina would need to go the 80
yards with one time out to prove they deserve that title.
A pair of passes to Mike Tolbert took it to the two minute warning
with the ball at the 37 and a third and five. Desmond Trufant broke up a
pass up the middle placing all of the Panthers hopes on a fourth and five.
But the pass went incomplete and the house erupted. Just 1:48 left on the
clock as the Falcons took over on downs.
They ran a short handoff forcing Carolina to call its final time out at
1:44. A false start stopped the clock for the visitors at 1:40. All Atlanta
had to do was rut out the clock but offensive penalties kept stopping it.
Amazingly, only 10 seconds had run off in the three plays. Graham put one
through from 54 yards to make it a 7 point lead. But, Carolina was going to
get the ball back with 1:30 to go. Plenty of time for an offense like this.
With no time outs, the Panthers still had a pulse. Brown caught one for
19 yards at the 39 with the clock still tickings.
No miracles today, except for what the Atlanta defense did as Vic
Beasley stripped the ball loose with falling on it. The Falcons
had torn a page out of the history books with their rivals' name on it. As a
sign outside the stAdrian Claybornadium before the game said, "15-0,
not in our house!"
