Being explosive on offense was the theme for the Falcons this offseason.
They did not show it against the Chicago Bears last Sunday which resulted in the loss on opening week. It looked like it was going to be the same story in their second game of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles in front of a national audience on Sunday night.
But with the Falcons down by three late in the fourth quarter, Michael Turner hit a 61-yard run from the Falcons 13-yard line and five plays later, Turner scored the go-ahead touchdown to give the Falcons the 35-31 over the Eagles.
“There were a lot of tough sledding in the football game,” Falcons head coach Mike Smith said. “We obviously didn’t play our best game, but we did enough to get it done.”
Down by 10 to start the fourth quarter, the Falcons put together a 12-play 80-yard drive which led to a Matt Ryan 4-yard touchdown pass to Ovie Mughelli. Ryan threw for 195 yards and four touchdowns which was a career best for the fourth year veteran.
“He’s a tough Irishman,” Smith said about Ryan who was sacked four times and hit constantly throughout the ball game. “He gets hit and he takes that hit and keeps going. He is a guy that will never give up.”
The fourth quarter was something that the Falcons needed, especially the third quarter they had to go through. The Eagles got things rolling early in the third when Michael Vick threw a 36-yard touchdown screen pass to Jeremy Maclin to cut the Falcons lead to 21-17.
On the ensuing drive, Ryan throws his second pick of the game to Asante Samuel and that led to a LeSean McCoy 8-yard touchdown rush to give the Eagles the lead. Later in the third, the Eagles got the ball at the Falcons 20-yard line after Falcons punter Matt Bosher botched a punt that only went 18-yards. That led to a McCoy 2-yard score to put the Eagles up by 10.
At the start of the second quarter, the Eagles got on the board for the first time as Vick threw a touchdown pass to Maclin for a 5-yard score. Later in the second, Alex Henry kicked a 22-yard field goal to give the Eagles the lead for the first time.
Vick put up solid numbers, completing 19 of his 28 pass attempts with 242 yards and two touchdown passes. However, he did turn the ball over three times and had to leave the game in the third quarter due to a neck injury.
On Vick’s first fumble which occurred late in the second quarter, Peria Jerry forced the fumble at the Falcons 4-yard line which led to Ray Edwards returning it all the way to the Falcons 12.
“I was very fortunate to be in position to pick up the fumble and try to make a play for a touchdown,” Edwards said. “Though I didn’t make it to the end zone, I gave it my best.”
That play set up a Ryan 4-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez. Some might say it was one of Gonzalez’s top catches of his career, as he was able to grab it with his right hand while diving in the end zone. He also caught another TD pass from Ryan to start the third quarter. That was set up due to a Vick interception by Kelvin Hayden.
“I knew I had the catch,” Gonzalez said talking about his first touchdown catch. “I didn’t know I had my feet in because I wasn’t looking down. I’ve been around a little while, so I just knew in that situation you want to drag your feet because you don’t know where you’re at.”
With the win, the Falcons improve their record to 1-1 and are now tied with the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Bucs for the NFC South lead. Also with the win, Ryan improves his record at the Georgia Dome at 21-2.
“I think any time you get the first win of the year, it feels really good,” Ryan said. “But we have a long way to go.”
Oddly enough, the Falcons will be back on the road next Sunday to take on the Bucs in both team’s first divisional game of the season. Kickoff is set at 4:15 p.m.
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