By Don Stone - Football Atlanta
When it comes to the NFC South, the season has not started off like most
expected. The Saints are 0-3, a place where no team has ever moved on to the
playoffs. Carolina is 1-2, with as many losses as they had all last season,
including the Super Bowl. The Bucs are the Bucs. And, the Falcons sit atop
the division at 2-1. Things could easily change as Atlanta fans remember
from just last year where they were off to a hot 5-0 start, only to go 3-8
the rest of the season.
But there is room for optimism with the way the two pronged running game
of Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman have looked. And the
passing game has improved accordingly with Matt Ryan moving the ball
around to an array of receivers as Julio Jones has drawn extra
coverage. The offense has produced as a result with lofty point totals of
24, 35 and 45 in their three games.
To be honest, the strength of the competition has played a part with the
Panthers having faced Super Bowl Champion Denver and a very hot Minnesota
team while Atlanta has faced Oakland and New Orleans. But, the only loss
Carolina had during their 15-1 regular season was right here at the Georgia
Dome.
Cam Newton has shown frustration with what has happened, hanging
up on the media during a teleconference. The fortunes of the two teams in
the 2016 season could be strongly affected by what happens in this game.
Carolina got the ball first at their 25 and opened the game with an 8
yard catch by Ted Ginn, Jr. They picked up the first down but got a
taunting call on Newton moving it back to the 21. They could only get five
on the next three weeks and punted away to the Falcons 29.
On their first play, Ryan hit Jones who took it to the CP49. Jones caught
another for 14, more than he caught all last week. Again, Jones was open for
15 ore at the 20. Ryan got the next on his own with a 15 yard sprint for a
first and goal at the nine. A shovel pass to Freeman made it to the three.
Ryan pointed at someone who was out of position and called a time out. ON
the next play, Jacob Tamme caught one near the right pylon to give
his team the first points of the game.
Carolina began their second drive at their 19. On a third and nine,
Newton hit Kelvin Benjamin for a first down at the 41. Corey Brown
got five more on a catch at the 46. But the defense held again. But the 50
yard punt pinned Atlanta at their own two.
A short pass to Coleman got them some breathing room to the 13. A wide
open Patrick Dimarco gained 18 to the 31. A 4 yard run by Coleman was
brought back on a holding call bringing up a first and 20. But Ryan threw a
perfect arc for 42 yards to the CP32. Freeman took it outside for 19 into
the red zone at the 13. The back then took it the rest of the way up the
middle for a two score lead, 14-0.
The Panthers started at their 25 as the first quarter came to an end.
Newton completed a third down pass to Fozzy Whittaker to the AF47.
But the drive stalled again and again the punt was pinned near their goal
line, this time at the one.
Jones caught one at the six but a Ryan pass was tipped by former Bulldog
Thomas Davis and taken into the end zone by safety Kurt Coleman
to bring his team to within 7, 14-7.
At least the Falcons' next drive started at their 25. On a third and
nine, Taylor Gabriel brought one in for nine and a first down at the
39. Ryan threw a bomb to Julio and missed. On the next play, he tried again
and hit for 46 at the 15. They had to settle for a 28 yard Matt Bryant
field goal to put them up 17-7.
The Panthers started at their 25 with 5:56 left in the half. Brown got a
quick first at the 36. Newton saw an opening and broke free for 21 to the
AF43. Graham Gano made an impressive 54 yard field goal to make it
17-10.
Atlanta began at their 25 with just over three minutes but had a holding
call made it first and 20 at the 15. Julio grabbed a deflected pass at the
33 that was almost another interception. A sack at the two minute warning
lost seven back to the 26 for a third and nine. Atlanta had to punt it away
with 1:53 left, more than enough time with all three time outs for Carolina
to tie the game and go into the locker room with momentum.
But, the Panthers again couldn't get much traction on offense and had to
punt. Halftime score Atlanta 17, Carolina 10. The defense had held Newton's
offense to just 134 yards in the first half. less than Jones' 170 yards by
himself. His seven catches averaged 24.3.
On the kickoff, Eric Weems fumbled the ball and was downed at the
one, the third time they had started a drive within their own two. But,
again, Ryan got them out with a 19 yard pass. But another holding call made
it first and 20 from the 10. Gabriel laid out in the middle and got another
19 at the 30. Ryan bought himself some time and hit Mohamed Sanu for
his first catch at midfield. Davis was hurt on the play. Jones reached for a
nine yarder for a third and two at the CP43. Freeman dove for another first.
Tamme was waving to get Ryan's attention with no one within ten yards of him
on the right side. But, even more open was Dimarco on the left side. Ryan
went to the fullback for a 42 yard TD to extend the lead to 14.
The Panthers again went three and out and the punt again pinned the
Falcons deep at their 8. But completions to Coleman and Jones got them out
to the 20. On a third and ten, Jones got free across the middle and took it
into Panthers territory at the 48. That set a single game team record for
receiving yards at 216. As Jones was being looked at on the sidelines by the
trainers, Ryan was heaving another 35 yard bomb to Aldrick Robinson
for another score, 31-10.
Another three and out for the Panthers and the Falcons had the ball again
in better position at their 29. It was announced that Davis had hamstring
trouble and was out for the game.
A toss to Freeman got 12 to the 41. A pair of carries got another first
at the CP46. The appreciative crowd gave their team a hand as the game moved
into its final quarter. Coleman got a first at the 34. But the drive
stopped, uncharacteristic for this game. Bryant connected from 54 to make it
34-10.
Carolina began at their 37 with a 16 yard catch by Brown to the AF47. 24
more by Benjamin and the Panthers were rolling. Whittaker got 17 more to the
six. Benjamin made it a score. Newton had gone 63 yards on four plays. They
went for two and got it. But, Newton took a helmet to the head on the score
and left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Amazing that, after the
hit, he still had the presence of mind to reach across the goal line. Guard
Trai Turner was called for taunting. Down 34-18, hardly a time to say
"take that." The 15 yards was added on the kickoff which was taken out by
Weems to the 50. The lead at sixteen, but the ease that Carolina scored on
their last drive made you think that Atlanta still needed to tack more on.
Not this time as they got another three and out. The punt pushed them to
their 6.
Derek Anderson came in at quarterback with 9:15 left. A 12 yard
pass to Benjamin got them a first but an illegal shift made it first and 15
at the 13. Anderson hit Greg Olsen for eight to make it third and one
from the 27. Whittaker got the first with a two yard dive. Devin Funchess
got his first catch, broke a tackle and took it all the way to the AF20.
That was followed by a pass interference call against Alford putting it at
the one. A pair of penalties got them a first and goal from the 16. On a
third down at the 14, Anderson found Olsen for another score. They went for
two again and converted to cut the lead to 8, 34-26 with still 3:58
remaining. Deion Jones suffered a calf injury to leave the game.
Atlanta got the ball at their 25 needing a first down to keep the Panthers
from getting it back. They had scored easily on their last two drives for 16
unanswered points.
Atlanta got just what they needed, a backbreaker as a short pass to Jones
saw Julio get free down the sidelines and take it 75 yards to extend the
lead back to 15.
Carolina still had 3:30 left and all three timeouts at their 37.
Arthur Blank gave Jones a hug on the bench as the crowd chanted,
"Julio." Whittaker got another first with a catch at the CP47. Atlanta was
giving them the short pass as Olsen took one out at the At43. Olsen ran out
at the 37 stopping the clock at 2:41. Holding on to all their timeouts, they
left it run down to the two minute warning on a fourth and two at the 16.
Sean Weatherspoon left the game with a calf/Achilles injury. Funchess also left
the game. Scrambling, Anderson hit Brown for another score to make it 41-33.
Again, the lead was just 8 with 1:53 to go. An crucial on sides kick was
coming up.
Atlanta took over at their 25 needing only to get a first down to milk
the clock. Carolina took its first time out. Ryan was sacked to make it
third and 16. The Panthers took their second time out at 1:42. As Freeman
ran the ball to the 19, the Panthers took their last time out at 1:37. They
had a shot with the ball at the 24 needing 76 yards, a score and a two point
conversion, but no timeouts. No drama here as Alford intercepted Anderson
and took it to the house. Nail in the coffin. 48-33.
Just to insert the nail in harder, Alford picked off Anderson again at
midfield at the 0:38 mark. And that was it.
“It is just a great play call by the coaches," Alford said. "The
defensive line got pressure, everyone else was back there in coverage on
their man, the ball just happened to come my way, I made a play on it, got a
block by Brian Poole, and just ran it in for a touchdown.”
Jones finished with 12 catches for 300 yards, a team record. He became
the only player in NFL history to have over 250 yards receiving in a season.
"It was disrespectful," Jones said afterwards wondering why the Panthers
chose to defend him one on one throughout the game.
Ryan had 503 yards and four TDs, a franchise passing record. No time in
NFL history had a quarterback passed for over 500 yards and a receiver
caught over 300 yards in the same game. The Panthers have never allowed more
receiving yards in a game in their 26-year history.
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