By Don Stone - Football Atlanta
How do you put a game like this in words? You
could look around the frenzied Georgia Dome through the first three quarters
and see delirious fans reveling as the Falcons stunned Seattle with a 20
point lead. You could see those same fans start to chew on their collective
nails as they watched a never say die Seahawk team get touchdown after
touchdown to wipe that lead away and go ahead with 31 seconds left in the
game. Or listen to those disgruntled fans commiserate with each other about
another golden opportunity squandered in the postseason. "This one will be
the worst of all of them," said one. Someone in the press box noted that no
team in the entire history of the NFL had blown a 20 point lead at home and
lost.
How would this promising team survive such a disaster? Would heads
roll at Flowery Branch as Arthur Blank
looked for answers? Would they pull a knee jerk reaction like they did in
the early 80s when they fired the mostly successful Leeman Bennett
saying that the team had "reached a plateau" and needed to go in a different
direction. That new direction was downward and wandering in mediocrity for
decades until Mike Smith came along.
The fear was that this could jeopardize all the good things that had been
accomplished with five straight winning seasons. A team that was so close
looked like it had shot itself in the foot and might not recover from the
injury in the wake of all the criticism that was about to be heaped upon it.
All of that worry and hand wringing took place in a five minute
period as Seattle prepared to kick off to what they thought was a defeated
team that would stumble around for half a minute like Peyton Manning
and the Broncos had done the day before. The
Seahawks sideline was filled with self congratulating players and coaches
savoring the amazing comeback they had just unleashed on the football world.
The go ahead touchdown was under review as William Moore
had punched the ball loose from Marshawn Lynch
at the goal line. Maybe it was a fumble and wouldn't count. I mentioned that
this could be a blessing in disguise that they had scored too early giving
Matt Ryan some time left to score.
They only needed a field goal to win, after all. He said that it would be
best if it was overturned. Maybe the Falcons could then stop them like they
did twice in the first half. I thought that nothing I had seen in the fourth
quarter told me that was likely to happen. Since Atlanta had gone ahead
again by 20 points at 27-7, Seattle had outscored them 21-0. Better that
they didn't run another play or two, then score as time ran out.
After the kickoff at the 28, the Falcons had 25 seconds and two
timeouts to make something happen. Another writer nearby was swearing under
his breath about monumental collapses and how this one will be talked about
for decades to come.
I mentioned the September Carolina game when Ryan
had to start an improbable drive from the one
yard line with 1:09 remaining...how he had lofted a 59 yard pass to
Roddy White to set up a Matt Bryant
40 yard game winning field goal.
"Yeah, but he's only got 25 seconds here," grumbled the curmudgeon.
Not to make it look like I was totally confident about success. To
be honest, I thought it was over when Russell Wilson
hit Lynch with a 24 yard pass to put it at the two yard line. Anyone had to
realistically think it was all but over at that point. But, at least, I
still had some faith that the Falcons might be able to do something...Not
likely, but at least a chance.
Ryan used that previous come from behind experience to remain calm
knowing he was capable of this task. He went to work with a 22 yard pass to
the left to Harry Douglas at midfield.
The first timeout was called. Suddenly all things were possible. The
disillusioned crowd that had been walking up the aisles with heads down
stopped and turned around as a roar replaced the silence and hope was
restored.
Could this actually happen? All that was needed now was about 15-20
yards to get to within Bryant's field goal range. Tony Gonzalez
got them all that they needed as he pulled in his sixth catch and fought his
way for a 19 yard gain to the 31.
Seattle called their first time out as well to rethink this thing.
What just happened?
Rather than take a chance of a fumble, Smith sent Bryant in to do
what had been thought was impossible just a minute earlier. Seattle head
coach Pete Carroll thought he'd get
cute and ice the kicker by calling a time out to make him think about it.
Bryant went through with the motions and kicked it wide. Fans in the stands
behind the goal had hands on heads in anguish thinking it was over. But, the
move gave the other Matty Ice a second
chance as he split the uprights. The hands on heads returned, but this time
in jubilation. I've never heard the Georgia Dome so loud.
"Our quarterback, guys and ladies, is a special player," said Smith
after the game. "He did a great job there on that last drive. I know his
nickname is Matty Ice. I feel like we have two Matty Ices. We got Matty Ice
Ryan and Matty Ice Bryant. Matt Bryant has done some really big things for
us."
The noise went on for 15 minutes reminding me of the only other
game that I could remember attending that felt like this, when Sid slid just
over 20 years ago at Fulton County Stadium when Bream and the Braves had
their own last minute miracle and moved onto the World Series.
The Falcons had salvaged a near devastating defeat and replaced it
with unbridled joy and celebration. They would no longer have to answer the
questions about the four straight playoff losses and the inability to win
the big one in the postseason.
"I think your past experiences kind of harden you," said
Ryan. "They make you a little tougher in those types of situations. We know
it’s difficult to win in the NFL this time of year because you’re playing
against the best teams in the league. If you have an opportunity with time
still on the clock then you feel like you can get it done. That’s the way
everybody felt going on to that field. As long as we can get that first play
then we have two timeouts to move the ball down the field and we have a
great kicker that everybody trusts. We just felt confident."
For the first time in their history, they would be hosting an NFC
Championship game against a former division nemesis who routinely kicked
them around in the 70's and 80's, the San Francisco 49ers. In this year of
redemption, another challenge would be waiting. And, if conquered, a trip to
the Super Bowl would be the prize.
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