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Live Blog from the Georgia Dome By Don Stone - Football Atlanta
There was a bit of uneasiness in the neighborhood of the Georgia Dome prior
to the 1:00pm kickoff. Rumors had spread that ISIS was planning a terrorist
attack similar to what happened in Paris the week before and that they were
targeting the WWE wrestling event next door a Philips Arena, which was
scheduled for a 7:30pm start. The FBI downplayed it but fans coming to the
Falcons-Colts game couldn't help but be a bit nervous.
But the game was still scheduled with both teams coming off bye
weeks. For Indianapolis, the season had been a disappointment. High
expectations were there in preseason but it quickly went downhill. But, even
at 4-5, they are actually tied for the lead in the weak AFC South. Andrew
Luck has had an uneven season, mostly due to injuries that already
caused him to miss a few games. Now, he's out again for about six weeks as
he recovers from a lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle.
Their backup, Matt Hasselbeck, is 40 years old but has won half of
their four wins filling in. It will be the fifth time this season that
Atlanta has faced a team with a backup QB.
The Falcons are trying to get back to the form that saw them get
off to a 5-0 start before dropping three of their last four. A lot of the
problem has been because of turnovers and penalties. They'll be trying to
get the ball in the hands of Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman.
Jones ranks first in receptions (80) and second in receiving yards with
1,029. Freeman has 721 yards rushing, third best in the League. His nine
rushing touchdowns lead the NFL.
Indianapolis got the ball first at their 33. And on the second play of
the game, Hasselbeck was picked off by Paul Worrilow at the Indy45.
They squandered a golden opportunity throwing three straight incompletions
to Roddy White with Matt Bryant coming in and missing his 46
yard field goal attempt. The Colts took over at their 36.
On a third and seven, Donte Moncrief got a first down at midfield
with an eleven yard catch. Then, another break as O'Brien Schofield
jarred the ball loose from Frank Gore. Worrilow scooped up the fumble
at the AF45. Atlanta made the most of it on the next play with a nifty
Freeman run to the Indy16. The Falcons have struggled to score in the red
zone with one reason being that they have turned it over several times as
they neared the goal line. It happened again as a Matt Ryan pass was
deflected for a Dwight Lowery interception. To add injury to insult,
Freeman was taken to the locker room for a possible head injury. Gore also
went out with a quad contusion.
The Colts too over at their 20 but at the 31. They picked up 6 on a short
pass to T.Y. Hilton and got five more as Atlanta was called for 12
players on the field. But on a third and one, the defense held getting the
ball back at their 20.
Ryan hit Leonard Hankerson, back from missing several games, for
18 yards at the 38 then got a pass interference call on Ahmad Bradshaw
putting it at the Indy49. Ryan dove six yards for another first down at
the 35. White was open for his first catch and 12 yards to the 25.
Tevin Coleman got nine before Patrick Coleman was 15 yards from
the nearest defender for a 15 yard TD and a 7-0 lead.
It was announced that Freeman had a concussion and would miss the rest of
the game as the first quarter came to an end.
First quarter stats showed the dominance of the Falcons with 118 yards of
offense to Indianapolis' 34. But the 7-0 score revealed the missed
opportunities.
The Colts went three and out with the Falcons getting the ball at their
17 after an unnecessary roughness call on Justin Hardy.
Ryan quickly went to the air for a 36 yard strike to Jones at the Indy47.
Then again up the middle for 29 more at the 15. Hankerson brought down a 7
yard first down catch at the four. They hit pay dirt again when Ryan found
Patrick DiMarco for a 14-0 lead.
The Colts would try again at their 20. Suddenly, their offense, which had
been nearly nonexistent began to click as Griff Whalen got them 12
and a first down with his first catch at the 37. Coby Fleener made
his first catch at the 48. Hilton was wide open on the Atlanta sideline for
15 to the AF37. Bradshaw moved it 11 yards closer with a rush to the 18. At
the two minute warning, they were knocking on the door with a first and goal
at the seven. A shovel pass to Bradshaw got them their first score making it
14-7.
But they may have scored too fast leaving 1:55 on the clock and all three
time outs for Atlanta.
Jones go them 24 on a pair of catches to the 44. The got a first on an
off sides call putting the ball at midfield with 1:15 remaining. With just
0:31 to go and the ball at their 14, the Colts just ran out the clock
content to go to the locker room down by only seven. Halftime stats showed
the Falcons still almost doubling the offensive yardage 227-128. All but 48
of the Colts total yards had come on the one scoring drive.
Atlanta had the ball first and went right back to Jones on the Falcons
sideline for a catch at the 33. He was open on the other side for another
first at the 39. A handoff to Coleman added ten and another first to the 29.
A holding call on Jake Matthews made it first and 20 from the 39.An
off sides call got five back. Hankerson caught a pass and went out of bounds
for eight for a third and seven at the 26. Jacob Tamme got into the
action with his first catch for 16 at the 10. A break as a third down
illegal hands to the face call was made on Vontae Davis making it
first and goal at the two. Hankerson made it official extending the ball
across the goal line to return the lead to 14, 21-7.
Indianapolis began their first drive of the half at their 30 but couldn't
convert. Maybe Hasselbeck's sister-in-law, might do better.
The Falcons were pinned deep in their own territory to start the next
drive at their nine but got some breathing room on a seven yard carry by
Coleman. A pass to DiMarco got a first at the 21. But, that's all they could
do. Quan Bray took the punt 57 yards into Falcons territory but had
it called back on a holding penalty moving it back to the 10, a 67 yard
penalty. They got almost all of it back on one play, 26 back on a pass to
Fleener then 15 more on a call against Atlanta putting it back at midfield.
A completion to Moncrief picked up a first down at the AF34. A holding
call helped convert a third and 7 moving it to the 27. Another third and
five was again converted on another Falcons penalty, this one a big one,
pass interference on Akeem Dent placing it at the two. Bradshaw found
the end zone to pull the Colts to within seven again, 21-14.
Atlanta continued to keep Indy in the game when Coleman fumbled at the 21
as the game moved into the final quarter.
But the defense did their part when, on a third and six, Ricardo Allen,
intercepted the ball at the goal line and ran it out to the 15. The drive
was stopped but the Falcons couldn't capitalize going three and out. After
the 60 yard Matt Bosher punt, Indianapolis had the ball at their 31.
Hasselbeck moved the ball well hitting Andre Johnson for 13, then
Fleener for a first at the 48. That's where the drive ended but the punt
pinned the ball at the Falcons one yard line.
Again, the turnover bug hit as Ryan did the worst thing he could do,
throwing an ill advised pass became a pix six to D'Quell Jackson at
the six, tying the game at 21.
The same feeling as the last to losses with Tampa Bay and in San
Francisco was creeping in. "How are we not winning this game?"
Atlanta started at their 20. The only offense they could muster was a 17
yarder to Julio punting the ball to the Colts at their 16 with 8:18
remaining. The defense forced a three and out. The Falcons got the ball back
at their 24.
But the Indy defense was also doing a good job as they sacked Ryan for a
five yard loss to the 18. Ryan avoided another sack dumping it off to
Terron Ward, but still short of the first. Another punt and Indianapolis
took over at its 19 with 4:54 to go.
A short pass to Ward turned into a 31 yard gain to midfield with 3:40 and
ticking. Bradshaw caught a short pass and made 8 out of it. After the two
minute warning, a big third and two at the 43. They accomplished two things
on a ten yard pass to Moncrief. They converted the first down and they moved
into field goal range at the 33. Atlanta called its second time out at 1:48.
A pair of short runs forced the final time out and a third and five at the
28. The Colts let the clock tick down to 0:57 before calling their first
time out and bringing in the veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri to give
them their first lead of the game, 24-21.
The Falcons would at least have a shot with 0:52 to go with no time outs
and only needing a field goal to tie starting at their 18. Hankerson dropped
what would have been a 20 yard gain. Ryan threw one away to avoid a big pass
rush making it third and ten. Julio came to the rescue with a 15 yard catch
at the 15 with 15 seconds left. A short pass to Ward as he ran out with 11
seconds with the ball at the 35. Indy called its second time out to set up
the defense. The Falcons could do nothing as time ran out and the team
suffered another loss in a game that should have been won. Another game lost
to turnovers. Each week, Dan Quinn and Ryan talk about how they just need to
clean up the turnovers and they'll be fine. But, each week, they keep
happening and each week, they keep losing dropping their fourth in the last
five games. After a 5-0 start, they were now 6-4.
