Matt Bryant was able to do something New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley could not, and that was kick a game-winning field goal in overtime. The 46-yard field goal gave the Falcons a 27-24 win over the defending Super Bowl Champions.
It looked as if the Saints were going to come away with the win as they were down to the Falcons 11-yard line. But Hartley missed a 29-yard field goal wide left and gave the Falcons new life.
It was a typical Falcons-Saints contest where the both teams exchanged leads throughout the game. The Saints got the scoring started with a Drew Brees 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey early in the first quarter. That drive was set up thanks to a Lance Moore 72-yard punt return. The Falcons has no answer for Moore who ended his day with six receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons were able to answer on the ensuing drive with a Matt Ryan 13-yard TD pass to Tony Gonzalez to tie the game at seven. Ryan has another strong outing, as he went 19-of-30 with 228 yards and two touchdowns. Gonzalez led the Falcons receivers with eight catches and 110 yards.
Michael Tuner, who is coming off a groin injury had a workman like game, carrying the ball 30 times for 114 yards and a touchdown where he scored late in the second quarter to tie the game at 14.
In the third quarter the Falcons were able to break the tie with a Bryant 23-yard field goal and after a three-and-out by the Saints on the ensuing drive, the Falcons looked to get more insurance points. But after the Thomas Morestead punt, the ball hit Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud’s heel and Saints Jason Kyle was able to recover, that led to a Brees 16-yard touchdown pass to Moore to give the Saints the lead again.
Roddy White has been the Falcons most consistent receiver and came up big in the fourth quarter, catching a Ryan 22-yard touchdown pass to take the lead back from the Saints early in the fourth quarter. White had five catches for 69 yards along with the touchdown reception.
But Drew Brees, who went 30-for-38 with 365 yards and three TDs led the Saints down the field lat in the fourth quarter and it led to a Hartley 32-yard field goal with four seconds left in the game to tie it a 24.
One of the keys to the Falcons victory is the defense applying pressure on Brees, as he was sacked twice by John Abraham and Jonathan Babineaux and threw two interceptions as one went to Brent Grimes early in the first quarter and one to DeCoud in the second. Also, Sean Weatherspoon came up with some big plays at the linebacker spot and led the team in tackles with seven. However, he did leave the game with an injury and was carted off the field.
To say this was a big win for the Falcons would be an understatement. Not only the win puts the Falcons one game above .500, it puts them in first place in the NFC South. They will look to not have a let down next Sunday when they take on the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome Sunday afternoon.
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